The Spiritverse
by Gamewizard2008
Summary: Story 14 of the Newborn Saga. Nolan York, now a member of the Spirit KND, must work with new comrades in the afterlife to protect the Tower of Babel from Umbra Witch, Bayonetta, and a mysterious man who plan to use Babel's power for a heinous plan that threatens the Mortal World. But as Nolan is still new to this duty, he struggles with mastering his spiritual powers.
1. Welcome to the Gods' Realm

**Ladies and gentlemen, it's time to celebrate the 10th year of the Gameverse! And I've even found the perfect theme song: play "Made in Heaven" by Queen~**

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**_Chapter 1: Welcome to the Gods' Realm_**

A lonely grave-keeper softly patted the soil of a stone with his shovel. Ensuring the soil was smooth and flat, he continued his inspection of the vast, vacant grounds. A sea of gray covered the sky: it was damp weather, but it was peaceful. The spirits of the departed enjoyed a quiet, serene atmosphere to take their eternal rest. That's what the grave-keeper believed. Somewhere far above those gray clouds, the spirits were living peacefully. Tranquilly.

In the Underworld, millions of souls were in line, awaiting judgment at thousands of courthouses. At one such courthouse, a chubby human man who appeared glum and depressed set foot on the scale. The scale on the 'Good Deeds' side weighed down a bit… but it was passable. The Reaper stamped the hilt of his scythe against him, marking a golden stamp. With an expression of awe, the glum man began to ascend to a golden ray of light above Underworld Castle.

Beyond the cavernous ceiling of the Underworld was a glistening sky and a valley eternally lush. A golden gate opened to welcome the man to this world.

Children of all ages were chasing each other and exploring a playground the size of a fortress. Some were trying to catch golden spirits that carried hammers, said spirits smiling and laughing joyously. There was a swamp where frog spirits sang exuberantly upon a stage of lilipads. A Crocodile Hunter sat at the edge of the swamp when a crocodile spirit propped its head on the man's lap. The hunter patted the reptile's head as the creature purred.

In a vast desert of golden sand, explorers were excavating the dunes in search of Genie Lamps. Dozens of genies were found, and would grant their discoverers a single wish before becoming a star and ascending. One of the explorers wished for a mountain of gold. A Mobian camel explorer wished his camel spirit guide could assume a humanoid form; the female camel became a proper Mobian and they fell in love. An elf spirit wished for a Magic Zanpakutō, and a fairy wand conjured in his hands. The genie who granted such a wish resembled a robin.

Some people rode a flying train to Game Central Station, suspended in the air with giant cables connecting to trains. A Japanese girl named Chiaki was relaxing on a bench at the central park, playing on a handheld console. An electric, teardrop spirit appeared beside her with a cute smile, and the girl smiled and petted it. There was a fountain resembling an N64 controller. An African-American boy was leaving the game store with a copy of the newest _Banjo_ game.

Merpeople and Fishmen freely swam in the endless sea, and Adabat folk, Lurelin folk, Hydropolis folk, and other fish-loving humans were riding the spirits of giant, red and gold koi fish. They all formed a great, wide berth as Sea God Kyogre rose to the surface, swimming alongside them. Some of the fishermen climbed atop the king and cast their fishing lure Zanpakutō, awaiting a bountiful hull of fish. There was a man named Stephen floating peacefully on a giant sponge.

Above a sea of stormy clouds, the Nimbi, Birkans, and other sky folk were surfing waves of white, stirred by the swimming of Sky God Rayquaza. The shiny green snake erupted lightning from the surface, the Birkans surfing in and relishing in the electrical juices. "Ha haaaa!" laughed Adam West as he soared beside the Sky God. "I always knew I was a Sky Dolphin and I was riiiiiiight!"

Atop a molten volcano, the Gorons were feasting on the lushest, mouth-melting, juiciest rocks around. Lava God Groudon waved his arms and erupted another meteor shower of rocks. Some Mogma were burrowing out of the ground, giggling greedily at their armfuls of treasure, but a Meteor Meat hit one of them in the head.

Earthbenders from the Avatar Realms stomped the ground in unison, erecting their best statues resembling Earth God Regigigas. Former King Bumi laughed as he built the biggest statue of all of them. A spectacled mole in a red, patterned shirt poked out of the statue, looking around in confusion.

There was a peak that rose into a tip, on which it seemed the sun itself was stationed. Thousands of Ancient Robots from Secco and Mobian worshippers from the Sol Kingdom gathered around the peak in worship of Sun God Solaris.

Jack Frost skied up a frosty mountain alongside his little sister, Jenna. They easily outpaced the Glacians, Anouki, and Water Tribe folk at their back. Upon reaching the peak of the mountain, they skied up onto an Ice Road, flying around and around the Ice God Polaris and wrapping him into a giant present, with ice ribbons and snowy wrapping paper. The people giggled at Jack's silly action, Polaris poking his eyes through the snow with a disbelieved stare.

Miles atop the spiritual surface, upon the Spear Pillar that touched the stars, angels were soaring up to meet with the gods. Lunarian angels, with crescent-shaped white wings, reported to Moon Goddess Cresselia. Zathurian angels with pink wings reported to Palkia, and human angels with blue wings reported to Dialga. With the gods' command, the angels rushed down to fulfill their orders.

Yet, higher above the gods still were a great many space explorers, sailing the spiritual stars from within gigantic Space Clams. Mr. Spock had been voyaging alongside the souls of the Jedi Knights. A beautiful shooting star swerved around and past them, returning to the surface. With a glittery flash, the star transformed into Jirachi.

A blonde man in a brown top-hat and blue coat twirled a cane as he welcomed hundreds of children into his Candy Garden. They all took as many scrumptious sweets as they desired (for the right price), and the Candy Man encouraged them to, saying he could grow much more in no time (again, provided they had the money)! One of these children was a Sweetian girl with magenta hair, who purchased a bag of _croquembouche._

_That _child rode a carriage down to the Underworld Prison and spoke to a Bulblin at the Gifts Center. The Bulblin would have the sweets checked, but after confirming nothing suspicious, he would have it delivered to Charlotte Linlin. Around the same time, three Zathurians were speaking to the warden, Magellan. After filling some paperwork, the massive, bat-winged warden guided them to the lower levels.

At a castle-size restaurant that sold all kinds of non-alcoholic drinks, Dumbledore, Snape, and Sirius shared a drink with a man named Alan. At that same shop, the chubby man who had just entered Spirit World had come here to get some Sol Juice. He accidentally bumped into a man in a black trench coat and ten-gallon hat, a black mask covering his pale, withered skull-like face. The skull-faced man tipped his hat in apology and was on his way. Little did the chubby man know that a very small organism had gotten onto his neck and would infiltrate his ear.

Millions of people were riding the glamorous escalators to Heaven's Hotel, the endlessly colossal paradise where souls came to live their afterlife in peace. The group consisting of Nigel and Rachel Uno, Mika Chariton, Jagar King, and all their friends were returning up the escalator. Marine Frantic rushed up it in excitement, pouncing her old friends and knocking them over, causing other riders of the escalator to fall over and downward. Marine's friends shared an awkward laugh with her, while the other riders were greatly annoyed. Cranky Kong shook his cane at the Mobian in anger, but Chunky Kong simply lifted his elder up to carry him up the stairs.

The skull-faced man viewed their ascent up the escalator with a sharp stare. …He could sense the microorganism return and held his gun horizontally, so it could enter the slot. With that, the skull man walked away, joined by an obese man with curly blonde hair, a pink coat with purple trousers, and holding a Zanpakutō.

**Valley of Song** (Play "One of a Kind" from _Bayonetta_.)

A distant, vast valley rang with melody for hundreds of miles. Towering over the center of the valley was a statue of the Song Spirit, Meloetta. And all the way at the top of Meloetta's head stood a great tower. It was the Tower of Babel, the very core of all languages in the universe.

Hordes of Hollows were swarming around the tower, the Spirit KND determined to slay them. Maka Albarn sliced five in half, Black Star caught the neck of a giant Hollow in his chain scythe and decapitated it, and Ellen Wickens conjured giant skulls to chew the dark spirits like candy.

Meanwhile, a standoff was taking place between a tall, slender woman in black, her black hair in a beehive-like hairdo and glasses. She had swords in her hands and guns strapped to her heels. Before her were a shorter man and woman: the man wore a tan-colored robe that blew like scattering sand, his hair a dark-grey, and the woman had blue fiery hair, an orange shirt, and a ghostly tail.

"Umbra Witch Bayonetta…" Nolan York spoke gruffly. "You're wanted for invading and attacking over a thousand Spirit World settlements over the past 400 years."

"Tut tut, same old spiel I've heard over and over." The woman rolled her eyes, twirling the blades. "You Spirit Brats are no different from the Divine Angels. But come to think of it, aren't you two a little old for their playpen?"

"You're never too old to be a kid!" returned Emily Dickson, drawing a Zanpakutō. "Let's take her down, Nolan!"

"Gladly!" Nolan drew a sword of his own.

"You're going to regret this~" vowed Bayonetta. Her movements were like the wind, her blades touching theirs with such speed that it barely left a sound. Sandman managed a punch at her hip, but a swift kick to the head knocked him away, and she followed by thrusting her leg in his direction to shoot some bullets. Her foot curved around the other leg to shoot Emily with swiftness. Bayonetta opened dark portals above either operative and stomped massive dark heels down, but the two dodged. Emily turned intangible and phased underground, and Nolan flew up to slash spirit flames from his sword, Bayonetta matching his motion with little effort.

Nolan managed to grab her right arm, holding it firmly even as she tried to kick him off, then Emily flew up to grab Bayonetta's head and try to force it against the ground. Bayonetta was stubborn, and the witch let herself be pulled down, her legs flipping up and down to catch Emily's head. She flipped up the other way to slam her against Nolan, freeing her arm. She viciously slashed the two with her blades, but Emily grabbed onto Nolan to turn them intangible, flying away from the witch to recompose. Bayonetta summoned a giant serpent of darkness, gnashing its teeth as it flew to them, so Emily bellowed a Ghostly Wail to keep the beast at bay.

Alas, Bayonetta rushed around, Nolan throwing punches at her, but Bayonetta's legs outsized his arms and kicked him off-balance. He drew his sword again, using it to defend from Bayonetta's bullets, but she tossed a sword and stabbed Emily's back, allowing the serpent to SMASH them in its teeth. The beast vanished, and Bayonetta kicked the two like soccerballs. "Draw to life, Phan Art!" Emily's sword transformed into a pencil, complete with a sketchpad. She drew a picture of Danny Phantom, the ghost boy coming to life as he flew to punch Bayonetta.

Her drawing speed unmatched, Emily drew 24 El Tigres, 12 She-Zows, and a few Wakko, Yakko, and Dots to attack Bayonetta. The witch struggled with dicing all the cartoons, and Nolan was able to get behind and slash her with his Zanpakutō. She reactively did a flip to try and kick him, but Nolan evaded and caught her leg, trying to twist it, but Bayonetta stomped her other heel into his head, twisting it until Nolan was forced to release. Afterwards, she proceeded to sit on his shoulders and squeeze his head, casually slashing away the cartoons in the process.

"You're new to this game, aren't you? Doesn't your Zanpakutō have a name?"

"Grrrr! I haven't… learned its name, yet!" Nolan grunted, trying to cut the woman, who merely defended with her blade.

"My, how disappointing. Oof!" Bayonetta was punched off by Emily, but the witch flipped to a recovery as she sent the dark serpent at her again. The snake wrapped around and swallowed Emily whole, but she destroyed it from inside with an Ecto Burst. A whipping kick from Bayonetta knocked her away, however. Sandman grappled the witch and pulled himself to her, forcing Bayonetta to the ground, but she grabbed him in turn, rolled them over, and smashed him instead. "Now, that's called harassment, Sandman." Bayonetta said, choking the shorter man between her legs. "I know the perfect dungeon in the Underworld for men like you. Hm?"

Arrows rained down from the heavens, exterminating all that remained of the Hollows. A golden light shone from the heavens: a fleet of Angels were descending, with blue wings, pink wings, moon wings, and a choice few of them wore white and gold robes with larger white wings. "Well, it seems playtime is over. Toodle-oo, Sandman~ Fly me away, Madama Butterfly!" Bayonetta grew a pair of dark, yet colorful butterfly wings. She took flight away from the valley with a squadron of Angels pursuing her. (End song.)

The Angels in white and gold garb landed near Nolan and Emily. "Might you explain what you were doing on the ground?" asked a long, white-haired man with a light complexion. His Zanpakutō were two long, thick gold and silver swords with purple gems at their hilts.

_Leader of the Divine Angels_

_BALDER_

"She had overwhelmed us, Lord Balder." Nolan replied. "We appreciate the assistance."

"'Assistance'? More of an interference, on your part. You failed to stop that witch from attacking one of our most sacred of sanctuaries."

"If we hadn't been here at all, the damage would've been worse."

"Hardly. The Tower of Babel is impenetrable without the Lost Voices. And last I learned, they were still safe in their domains. Even so… this is exactly why I believe the Spirit KND is unnecessary. We Divine Angels, loyal servants of the gods, have protected the cosmos from dark spirits for eons. Why God Arceus decided to approve of the Spirit KND shortly after his revival is beyond me."

"Ahh, don't be so hard on them, Baldy." said another Angel. He had messy blonde hair, white skin, and bags under his blue eyes. "KND, Divine Angels, we all love God Arceus, don't we? And I certainly welcome the lovely young ladies~" He passed a look to Emily, to which she was creeped out.

"Sherbet, do not say something so undignified." Balder ordered.

"Luu luu luuuuuuu…" sang a female angel. She wore a blue dress, had blonde hair that flowed down her body, a halo, and narrowed green eyes.

"I agree, Ciel. I do not know why Arceus considered this man a close friend in the old world."

"Ciel?" Nolan repeated. "Heh, funny, I just met a Ciel before I… y'know, died."

"Fascinating." Balder replied with disinterest. "However, these two are new recruits from New Galaxia. They knew God Arceus long before any of us. Quite powerful, I will admit. Well, you children can leave now. We will tend to any damages."

Nolan and Emily cast a glare at the Angel, not appreciating the belittlement. Regardless, they began their flight down and off the statue of Meloetta. "So, are you used to him, yet?" Emily asked.

"Meh, I've dealt with worse." Nolan replied.

"Yeah, even though the Angels were meant to be a separate faction, they still act like they're in charge of us."

"Whatever helps me get back to relaxing, the better."

"Heh heh, if you wanted to relax, why even join the SKND to begin with?"

"Hard to say. Felt it was my duty. I figured, as long as I still have conscience, I was entitled to protect the world."

"If you say so. But as for me, I'm doing enough living for both my life and afterlife. It's kind of lucky that they allowed me to meet with you. We knew each other in life, but the gods didn't consider us close, so it all worked out!"

"You sure we weren't close? It feels like only yesterday that Danika and I were breaking into your house."

"It was such a romantic first meeting, I'll never forget." Emily remarked sarcastically. "Of course, I'm not allowed to discuss you with anyone living."

"It's okay. There's no point in dying if the living can't move on. But I'm guessing you can't come to the party."

"Nope, Halfas aren't allowed in Heaven's Hotel. You're either Whole Dead or No Dead."

"Makes sense, I suppose. Anyhow, let's head back to my treehouse for a healing treatment. The others can handle the report to Kid."

**Castle Hell**

Death the Kid, the young king who ruled the Underworld, splayed a report perfectly in the middle of his desk. It greatly irked him that Bayonetta's picture was on the right side of the page, but the text had already ruined the symmetry, anyway. "Umbra Witches… I can't believe we're still dealing with those. These mages worshipped the Demon Kings in exchange for greater power and longevity. They were free to visit the Underworld at will and used their power to breach Spirit World barriers. The Divine Angels snuffed next to most of them out, but this one still runs rampant. Sigh…"

Kid pushed his chair out and walked around the desk. "It's becoming more and more difficult to maintain law, but it's a job that must be done. Even if I have to hurt some feelings…"

**Underworld Prison, Level 6**

A single cage suspended by chains hung over a soulless abyss. The chains rattled as the cage was slowly brought upward to the entrance of this dungeon. The wall of the cage slowly opened, allowing the prisoner's visitors to see him, but with bars to keep him contained.

"Hello, Dimentio~!" the family of three greeted with a unison of waves. "I made you a cake!" Dimentia said, miniaturizing the cake to have it go through the bars, after which it resized.

The Zathurian man inside was practically melted from gloom, the black side of his face faded to gray. "…Revan… will not… shut uuuuup…"

_"Hey Dimentio! I smelled cake! Is there cake up there?! Gimme some cake! I love cake!"_

"Dimentia, does the sign up there NOT read 'Solitary Confinement'?"

The three relatives faced upward, noticing an old sign that read 'Solitaire Confinement.' "Son, check under the mattress, I think I see a deck of cards." His mother, Nosteré pointed.

Dimentio did so and picked up said cards. "Oh, screw off."

_"Dimentio, did you find your cards, yet?! C'mon, I wanna play some cards! Got any 3's? Ah, go fish!"_

"Dimentio, I know it is far too late to say this," Blumeré began, "but… it is wonderful to finally see you again. We're very sorry for everything you and Dimentia were forced to go through because we abandoned you."

"Oh, I hardly even cared about that. Besides, my fate was already written. I was destined to fall into the Vortex of No Return, to become a Logia… and to create sheer emptiness and bliss. And after almost a year of wasting away in here, I long for empty space all the more. Unlike you, Dimentia, I have no regrets for how I lived, just for how I died."

"Sigh, it's our fault that you ended up this way." Nosteré sighed.

"I wouldn't say that." Dimentia replied. "Dimentio's an adult now, he should've been wiser for the wear. It's his own fault he ended up in here. Ow!" A tomato hit the back of her head.

"Hehehehehehe!" snickered Tallests Red and Purple from around a corner. "We got 'er!"

"HEY!" bellowed Warden Magellan. "What're you two doing down here?!"

"Crud, it's the warden! RUUUUN!" They ran as Magellan conjured a purple serpent of toxic liquid, nearly gnashing the squishy aliens in its teeth.

Dimentia warped the tomato off her. "Anyway, Dimentio, I just wanted to say that, in spite of everything that's happened… you're still my brother, and I love you."

"Easy for you to say when I'm not destroying the universe." Dimentio cracked a witty smile.

"Sorry to interrupt you, Mrs. Winkiebottom, but I'd like to speak with you."

The family faced right: Death the Kid had come down to visit. "He must mean me." Dimentia clarified to her confused mother. "I'll just be a minute."

Leaving her parents to talk more with Dimentio, Dimentia approached Kid. "Dimentia, the gods have assigned you to cleaning duty as your punishment."

"Ah, of course." Dimentia's face fell, remembering the agreement she made.

"It was one thing to have the Vistium sword sent to your daughter, but having any sort of contact with her is a violation of our laws."

"But the Phoenios said I can visit any time."

"That may fall in line with their rules, but from this universe's perspective, your mortal body is dead and you're now 'immortal' with a form of spiritual power. Considering that Skaios was already freely attacking mortals and breaking his boundaries himself, Palkia allowed you to send the sword to be used to quickly straighten him out. All the same, broken rules have to quickly be punished and/or rectified. If you could freely write to your children, then other parents will want to. There's something I want to show you as well."

Kid led Dimentia to an extremely barricaded cell, the latter viewing through a very small window. Inside was a mass of black-and-blue fire, squirming as electrical wires struggled to keep it contained. "That is Pandora, the Goddess of Chaos." Kid explained. "Chaos is the natural opposite to Law, so Arceus created Pandora to embody this universe's natural chaos. Whenever laws are broken, especially spiritual laws, Pandora's chi will increase. Her chi could go out of control and seep into the universe for massive destruction. Even when she had boarded the _King Dutchman_ and was cut off from the Spirit World, her chi still existed in this world, and everything that was happening caused it to spike tremendously, especially that little incident that happened on the _Noah_. The only way to shrink her chi back down is to rectify broken laws or punish lawbreakers. But there have been so many lawbreakers lately that it's becoming harder to do."

"Then why haven't the Divine Angels or you guys tried to stop Skaios by now? He was probably breaking tons of laws, wasn't he?"

"He was too fast and too strong for the gods to catch, and after he had formed the Sky God Pirates, he had garnered worshippers and followers. Having worshippers makes a god stronger. Although gods cannot interfere with mortal affairs, it is important for them to bond with mortals. It will increase their strength to protect the Spirit World, and in turn give strength to mortal souls. Some gods even have a right to defend their territories from invading mortals, such as Kyogre's kingdom or Darkrai's city, in order to protect the mortals who worship them. However, one of the gods' most sacred beliefs is that mortals must be stronger than them and advance the universe by persevering. Even if we could defeat Skaios, it was much preferred that a mortal defeat him, even with special equipment.

"Even so, Dimentia, the act of experiencing loss or grief is also important for mortal growth. When a mortal dies, those who were close to them in life must be cut off from them. It's a natural law that persists in every universe… most of them. But as you know, this law has been broken many times. There were so many unnatural resurrections; of course, my father was not innocent either. He showed the Kids Next Door potential visions of their deaths so they would think more wisely in combat, but he even revived a few simply out of compassion. Mark my words, Mr. King is still living his punishment, and Skaios will receive his when Rayquaza believes the time is right. But trying to manage all this chaos is incredibly stressful."

"I… understand where you're coming from." Dimentia sighed. "But I…maybe we'll just talk about this later. …So, what's my cleaning duty?"

"Heaven's Hotel, of course." Kid remarked, his eyes becoming beady and his body chibi. "Charlie is really excited to have you as her maid."

"SHE BETTER NOT EXPECT ME TO WEAR A COSTUME!" Dimentia's eyes popped out in panic.

"Aha ha ha ha! I'm hearing a lovely conversation~" Dimentio sang.

"Ah, but I do have a bit of good news." Kid spoke again. "I believe Jirachi has just arrived in the Spirit World."

"Jirachi?!" Dimentia beamed. "All right! I was hoping to see him again! Ow!" An egg fell on her head.

"Heeeey, Dimentia! Remember me? ?" Rumpel Stiltskin yelled from a high platform. "You may've escaped my playground monster, but I still egged ya good!"

"THERE YOU ARE!" Magellan bellowed.

"YIPE!" Rumpel jumped away when Magellan's snake flew up and destroyed the platform.

**Sector WITCH**

Nolan and Emily were lain on beds inside a plastic dollhouse, with large stuffed animals sewing the rifts on their spiritual bodies. "I feel like I'm being stuffed with fluff." Nolan said.

"I know it feels weird, but it's pretty quality healing magic." Emily assured. "You get used to it after a while."

"It's okay, York-san." A giant purple eye peered into the room's window, the sweet voice belonging to a young girl. "You're still new to this team. Even the grown-ups can't catch Bayo-san, uu-uuuu."

"I'm a grown-up too, Maria." Nolan stated. "Even if I am a 'young' spirit."

"Maria was born before York-san. Maria is grown-up, uuuuu."

"Sorry, Nolan, Maria is our senior." Emily said.

"Sigh…"

After their treatment was done, the duo exited the dollhouse, magically returning to normal size in an instant. They faced down at the girl named Maria, nine years old with short brown hair, a small black crown on her head, a pale pink buttoned shirt, and a black skirt. She wore knee-high socks and red Mary-Janes. "So, York-san, did you awaken your Zanpakutō, yet?"

"Not really."

"It's okay. It takes a while before people learn their sword's name, but at least you managed to materialize it in a short time. Maybe you'll be a witch like me, uu-uu!" She waved her magic scepter, gold with a phoenix wing head.

"Then why didn't Hogwarts ever send me an owl?"

"Uuuuu. What's Hogwarts?"

Maria's Zanpakutō was a magic-type, similar to Ellen Wickens or Agatha Prendergast. Magical Zanpakutō were usually gifted to spirits who were once mages in life, albeit Maria had died before she could go to a magic school. Magic Zanpakutō possessed a wider variety of abilities akin to magic in the Mortal World, yet they were usually tied around a theme like other Zanpakutō.

In Maria's case, her power was tied around the toys she used to play with, and her healing magic was based around how her cousin, Ange would repair her broken toys. Her Zanpakutō's name was Sakutaro, named for her favorite stuffed lion. Her sectormates would often gather in the safety and comfort of her dollhouse for lounging, meals, or private discussion, not to mention Maria could easily carry them all in secret. She also had another dollhouse resembling her old family mansion, inside which the souls of her family lived in peace, albeit Nolan had never met them, yet.

"Anyway, thanks for the treatment, Maria. I have a party to get to."

"Would York-san like Maria to warp him to Heaven's Hotel?"

"No thanks. A nice drive is good for the soul."

"Ta ha, okay! Uuuuuu!"

**Mortal World**

On Planet Hyrule, the black-clothed man with a skull face was strolling through Kara Kara Bazaar in Gerudo Desert. He bumped into a dark-skinned man wearing Gerudo clothes. "Oops, sorry, honey~" the man said in a feminine tone, speaking Gerudo. The cross-dresser resumed his journey to Gerudo Town.

In the kingdom of Uraya on Planet Mira, an Urayan boy was playing tag with a small Nopon boy. The Nopon had turned a corner, but bumped into the dark legs of the skull-faced man and fell on his back. The Urayan caught up, laughing as he tapped the Nopon's belly. "Mehmeh! Got you!" He spoke, mimicking the Nopon speech.

"Mehmeh! Veero cheated! Runini fell!"

"Runini not watch where going! Now catch Veero!" The Urayan ran off excitedly.

"Mehmeh! Come back here!" Runini chased after him.

The skull-faced man, his back facing their direction, tipped his hat. He calmly walked into the darkness of an alley. The gentle strums of an invisible banjo played to mark his presence.

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**Maria comes from _Umineko_ (don't confuse her for another girl in this series), Bayonetta comes from her titular series, as does Balder, Sherbet and Ciel come from _Gray Garden_, and I also wrote in a lot of cameos of real-world people who have died, many of whom were referenced in chapters of the Seven Lights Saga. Next time, we're going to kick-start the main conflict.**


	2. The One That Covers

**Play "Our Eternal Land" from _Xenoblade 2_!**

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**_Chapter 2: The One That Covers_**

**The First Church of Arceus**

A young angel in a white robe and bluish-black hair raced up a towering stairwell, extending for miles above the Spirit World's surface. The hard stone of the stairs felt warm and welcoming under the angel's bare feet. The great structure was nearing closer and closer beyond the stairs: an enormous cathedral marked with a great statue of Arceus. Just staring at it gave one a sense of serenity, their very souls soothing. The chorus of hundreds of robed spirits flowed throughout the air, making all souls feel warm and welcome.

The young angel panted after finally reaching the top of the stairs. Before him was a vast courtyard. Circles of worshippers knelt before Arceus's statue in prayer. Otherwise, visitor spirits were roaming around, and angel guards were patrolling. White torches lit the courtyard. Miles beyond the church, the Spear Pillar towered to the heavens.

The angel saw the man he was looking for, beaming as he ran to him. "Mr. Landers!" The adult angel stopped, turning calmly toward the boy. Ash Landers had white hair and a butler uniform that went beautifully with his wings. He also had amethyst eyes. "Mr. Landers, I brought a gift for God Arceus!" He held up a golden wrapping shaped like the god in question. "It's chocolate!"

"Lord Balder is with Arceus today. They're probably quite busy."

"But you promised I would get to meet Arceus if I made it back." The boy frowned sadly.

"Patience, Leic. You'll have your chance some day."

"Mmmm…"

On the opposite end of the courtyard were stairs leading to an outdoor nave, where people sat at the pews as Father Amalthus, a blue-skinned man with long ears and white hair, spoke. "In the beginning, hundreds of small worlds existed in nothing, but their instability and fragility caused them to collapse. But, from their remains, from the fragments of scattered chi, an egg appeared. And from that egg hatched God Arceus. Arceus created Dialga and Palkia, and established the movement of Time, as well as the open Space on which they would build their universe. Then, Arceus created Palutena and Medusa, to establish the eternal law that was Balance, the Good and Evil which would clash within the universe. It was stated that all beings need a Balance, a second being to counter them, and thus, the Negaverse was built. But just as all beings needed a parallel to Balance them, so did Arceus. And so, the Demon King Demise was born."

The interior of the church's center was an entire sub-dimension of stars and planets, and a stairway of white light would carry one up to Arceus himself. Divine Leader Balder stood before the Supreme God. _"Still doubting the Spirit KND's potential, Balder? Hm hm hm… I know their top priority is not to serve us, but they follow the example set by the heroes in the Mortal World. They and you were once alive, and they have not forgotten what drove them."_

Balder didn't respond for a moment. He knew Arceus would favor their side. It saddened him… somewhat… "I honored you for one million years. From the day I was born, to the day of my death, to every day after that… I prayed to you, and you never answered… and when you finally return to us… you were just so complicated. Your hatred was powerful… your orders were, 'Destroy the mortals, destroy them'… and that's exactly what I did. The Negatar was the primary perpetrator who led the mortals to wrong you… and that's why, on that day, I invaded the Negaverse. All to please you. You don't understand the pain I felt… when you rescinded your orders."

Arceus closed his eyes. _"I have sinned… Balder… and compelled my children to sin. Even in my scattered form… somehow, I heard the voices of my followers, the prayers… yet, my scattered emotions prevented me from truly listening. I was a terrible god, Balder. And that's why, after the KND set me straight, I ordered Dialga to lock me in a Stasis Bubble. For one billion years, I floated in that bubble, in sheer loneliness. I was completely deaf to all the prayers, and blind to the beautiful cosmos I had created. That was my punishment for attacking the mortals who were kind enough to revive me. Of course, only a day passed in real time. Although I did not deserve the prayers of the universe, I was not about to abandon it for such a long time. But after all was said and done, I am glad I returned to hear your prayers. I am truly grateful to have you, Balder…"_

"And I am grateful to you… for creating us. I truly love this universe you have created… I am just irritated by the people inside it. So many mortals do not appreciate the natural gifts they have… some are arrogant to think they do not need the gods. And some act so irresponsibly and childish. But I know this Balance, this darkness… is necessary for their everlasting growth."

_"Yes… mortals and spirits alike will continue to sin. But so long as they are capable of sin… they can persevere, learn, and grow. …Oh, but it seems someone would like to give me something."_ His eyes flashed.

To Balder's surprise, Leic Spirithive appeared beside him with a teleport. "Wah! W-Where am…OH! God Arceus!" The child beamed brightly. "Here! I brought you a gift!"

"What in the… Arceus! How could you just bring this boy in here?! He hasn't even got shoes, and this robe is so shabby!"

"What's wrong with no shoes?" Leic asked. "Most of the gods are naked! Haha, and Arceus only wears that gold ring thing!"

_"Hm hm! It is all right, Balder. I do love a good chocolate~"_ Arceus used telepathy to raise the chocolate sculpture, unwrapping as it flew all the way to his enormous mouth. He chewed it with a delighted expression. _"Ahhhh… so delicious."_ Divine tears escaped from his eyes. _"This… is what I missed about the universe. Oh, how I loved Yosafire's apple pies. I must visit her… and hope I get to try one again…"_

"My Lord…" Balder sighed.

_"Oh…and Balder? You know of Dimentia, correct? I need you to inform her of something…"_ (End song.)

**Heaven's Hotel**

After leaving the treehouse, Nolan made the drive in his Soulmobile, a white car modeled after his Sandmobile and left a white streak. The towering Heaven's Hotel was steadily growing closer, and there was a parking lot the size of a field for all of its residents. Nolan parked his car after being lucky enough to find an empty spot. Afterwards, he made the grand journey to the hotel escalators.

Just outside the escalators, Nolan saw a familiar face standing with her family. "Dimentia!" he called, the white-garbed Zathurian looking over.

"Oh, Nolan! I thought everyone else would've made it before me."

"You're not the only one who's busy with other matters. But why're you waiting out here?"

"I'm waiting for someone. I heard he had arrived just-"

"DIMENTIAAAA!"

"Jirachiiiii!" A shooting star fell from the sky, popping to become the Star God in white pajamas and a gold star head. Dimentia grabbed his arms and did a little dance with him.

"I didn't see you in such a long time! Why didn't you tell me you moved to another universe?!"

"I never had the chance to meet you after you woke up! There's a lot of stuff I wanna tell you!"

"We'd better join up with the others then." Nolan suggested.

They rode the great escalators to the outer courtyard of Heaven's Hotel. There were dozens of residents hanging out at the tables, including a group of three.

One of those three, the skull-faced man, was reading a newspaper. There was also an obese man in a pink suit and curled blonde hair. The third man was elderly, with a long goatee tied at the end, a huge wide crown with spikes, spiked stone pauldrons on his shoulders, and a white robe with a stone collar. He had a big nose and thin curled mustache.

The blonde man glanced over at the passing group, softly rubbing the hilt of his sword. "That's the Firstborn, isn't it? He'll make things complicated unless we subdue him as well."

"Yes, but the woman is no longer his Guardian." Skull Face clarified. "He should not be able to grant her wishes. However… Jirachi could make excellent leverage."

"I sense powerful Space Chi from her." The elderly, tribal man said, twirling a string around his long-nailed finger. The end of the string had a small device resembling a Trefoil Knot. "Valentine, I think you should ready a few copies of her in case she tries to teleport them."

"Perhaps you're right, Ibara." The blonde man agreed. "For now, prepare to set the weapon."

Ibara held the stringed device up to his mouth and spoke concisely: "Thirty meters, thirty minutes." The device brimmed with green energy, absorbed from Ibara's soul. Afterwards, he handed it to Skull Face, who stashed it under his coat.

"DIMENTIAAAA!" The manager of the hotel jumped with joy and raced around the reception desk. She was a white-skinned demon girl with blonde hair and a shining smile. "Welcome back to Heaven! And I see you brought Jirachi with you!"

"Hah hah, it's great to be back, Charlie!" Dimentia grinned. "And, um… Kid told me that I had to-"

"Whaddyou think of this uniform?!" Charlie presented a maid's uniform with yellow and purple colors.

"I THINK I'M NOT WEARING IT!"

"Awwww, but you would've looked so cute in it." Charlie pouted. "Ah, no big deal!" She tossed it away casually. "We can get started after the party! Let's go!"

Energetic music was booming in the Party Room as late parents and KND operatives celebrated the end of the Pirate War. "OIII, Dimentiaaaa!" Marine Frantic pounced the Zathurian, planting her hands to Dimentia's shoulder to hoist herself in the air. "Yours and moi daughter are official pirate brethren! Drinks were shared and everything! Can you believe Nebula is close mates with the Pirate King?!"

"Haha, I never would've expected it, honestly! I guess it was fate that Nigel randomly found you on that island." Dimentia smiled as she was partially weighed down by the ecstatic Mobian.

"Heehee, you didn't think a thing about me, didja?" Marine returned to the floor and put an arm around her. "Just thought I was some crazy sheila wantin' to crash in your base? Well, I was a girl who was gonna give birth to a legend, and I guess so were you! But anyway, where've you been? What's with all the mates saying you were a phoenix now?"

"When I died on the _Noah_ a few years ago, my soul awakened as an Inviere."

"A what?"

"My soul transformed into an immortal body. It happened because I hosted one of the Phoenios, Tanzy."

"Phoenix Who?"

"Tanzy is…sigh…" Dimentia figured it would take up the whole party if she tried to explain everything. "Basically, I'm working with a group of gods who protect other universes outside of this one. I've even been to a ton of other universes."

"YOU'VE BEEN EXPLORING THE MULTIVERSE?!" Marine, her attention immediately spiked, bellowed loudly in Dimentia's ear. "Strewth, then you need to let me come with you! I was all set to begin my Afterlife of Eternal Adventure, anyway!"

"I don't think you're allowed to come."

"Why noooooot? Do I have to become one of those Invear thingies?"

"Um, I guess, but it's kind of too late since you're already dead."

"Fine! Then at least let my Sheila become one!"

"Marine, it's not that easy…"

"C'mon, Dimentia, just tell us about the places you visited!" Jirachi cheered, flying around them. "What kinda people did you meet?"

"Well, one of the first places I visited was Phaera Plinam, which is sort of a training ground for us. I met this girl named Borarovite, and she kind of reminded me a bit of Kuki… Maybe it was the greenness."

Nolan had gone to sit with Yuki and Nigel at a table, sharing drinks of milk. However, while the other two were enjoying their selves, Nolan was studying a holographic image on a Soul Phone. "Element benders have been dying on different planets, and their souls are missing… Phantom Thieves stealing from peoples' dreamscapes in the Dream Realm… Dracula fricking broke out of prison… and somehow, K. Rool got into the Spirit World without a proper judgment, and no one can penetrate that big-ass fortress of his…"

"Nolan, put that thing down and enjoy the party." Yuki stated. "Look, we have Divine Milk. Fresh from the angels' farmland. This is quality dairy!"

"Honestly, Nolan, don't you think you've done enough?" Nigel asked. "When you were still fighting crime as an adult while the rest of us had settled down, it was kind of admirable… but we're spirits now. I think this should officially be the point of retirement."

"Nigel, you should understand better than anyone." Nolan replied. "Our duty to keep the universe safe for our children is never over. If the dark spirits escaped to the Mortal World, I have no doubt our kids could knock 'em dead… but I would rather they not trouble themselves with that. They need to be able to rely on us to handle our side of things, just as we rely on them. If Dimentia's not going to retire, no reason I should either."

"Maaaaannn, Nolan, Nolan, same old Nolan." The adults looked up and were approached by Dillon Simmons and Corey Sanderson. "You're just not a soul that's allowed to live in peace, are ya?" asked the former.

"I-It's all b-b-because we died, isn-sn't it?" Corey stuttered.

"Don't start blaming yourselves." Nolan said. "But it's true that your deaths stuck with me. As long as there are villains or evil spirits, other innocent people and heroes are in danger of dying. I have to do my part to minimize that danger as much as possible."

"No one's stopping you from wanting to save people." Dillon replied. "But you're not gonna save anyone if you don't lighten up. …And since we are spirits, that is definitely a pun~" He cracked a smile. "Just smile, drink your milk, and get in happy spirits. And if you don't, I'm gonna sing Zach's 'Drink Your Milk' song!"

"Daaaaah!" Nolan screamed in a gruff form, quickly snatching his bottle of milk and drinking.

"Ha HAAAAH! That's more like it! But you know what? WE'RE GONNA SING IT, ANYWAY!"

"NOOOOOO!"

Nolan was yanked up by his two old friends, unable to escape as they danced in the middle of the party. "Driiiiink your milk today, driiiiink your milk, oh yay!"

"W-W-White, an-nd chocola-a-ate, st-st-st-st-strawb-b-berry, t-too!" Corey sang.

"Well said, Nolan, my boy." declared Brett Gunkan, raising a glass of the drink. "Milk is good for the ghostly bones!"

"Did you guys know Secco has a city where milk flows naturally through the ground?" Mikaela Chariton asked. "Rainier told me about it!"

"Actually," Darcy began, "we heard that town was taken over by the Big Mom Pirates. Sunni and I kind of did a bit of research during the war."

"Oi actually visited that town once!" Marine remembered. "Dimentia, you ever been to Al Mamoon?"

"Not exactly…"

Dillon and Corey were spinning Nolan around. "If you can do the moo-moo, the way that a moo do, then YOU… MOO… TOOOOO!" Charlie giddily swirled along with Nolan, fitting him in a cow costume. The song and dance continued on, Nolan's glum expression in contrast to the cheerful atmosphere.

"Wait, what is 'moo'?" Blumeré asked. "Aren't cows supposed to say 'zoirlee'?"

"Not anymore, Dad." Dimentia replied awkwardly. (Play "Boilerworks First Time" from _Luigi's Mansion_.)

_BAM!_

The doors burst open, kicked by a firm black boot. The party-goers whipped around in surprise. The gentle strumming of a banjo could be heard from an invisible source. Standing in the entrance were two people: the skull-faced man and Valentine, the blonde man. The two entered the party, slowly, the Skull Face firm with each step. The friends merely stood, confusedly and cautiously, and watched them.

Skull Face walked to the punch table. He calmly took the ladle, raised it out of the bowl, and filled a plastic cup. He slowly raised the cup to his mouth… and sipped. "I wonder where punch originated." He spoke simply. "Earth? Flora? England? India? I bet whoever made it never thought it could be so popular. I bet whoever or wherever that spirit is, nobody believes him or her. By now, they have been… forgotten. Punch is such a common drink that nobody cares."

"Um, hi, excuse me." Charlie approached and tapped his shoulder awkwardly. "Were you… invited to this party?"

Skull Face cast her a glare. "…Right, well, we have milk over there, if you wanted…" She grinned nervously and backed away.

"Who are you?" Nolan asked, marching up to him in his cow suit.

"…" Skull Face stared at him, not with resent… but with bewilderment.

"…!" Nolan quickly threw off the suit.

Skull Face put the cup down and slowly walked to the middle of the room. "I… am Skull Face. Who I was before… that no longer matters. Funny… how we can all stand here, partying, cheering. That fear of death no longer affects us. But even a spirit… has things to fear. When the memory or existence of a person starts to disappear in the Mortal World… their soul begins to change. When a spirit's body is destroyed and reformed, by a Hollow or otherwise, a couple memories are lost. Something gets changed. Our souls are one with the chi of this realm, but that chi slowly adapts with the Mortal World's changes. As a result, our souls change."

Skull Face turned to Dimentia's family. "You… Dimentia, was it? Say something to me. In Zathurian. Speak your native tongue."

"Um…well, I…I haven't had to speak it in a long time. I wished to Jirachi that I could learn any language that I heard, so I could understand all the aliens… but those languages kind of muddled together, and I could only remember a few at a time, so I…"

"You were lost to your culture… and your tongue was erased. Then perhaps your parents know."

"W-Well… we sort of adapted our language with the New Zathurians." Blumeré replied. "Many of us died with our old planet, a lot of them turned into Hollows out of despair, and then we met Palkia and tried to learn the language of gods, and… well, a lot of things happened, and…"

Skull Face took off his 10-gallon hat and held it at his chest, bowing his head. "When I was a boy… my entire culture was killed in genocide. Everything I knew was taken from me. When I escaped to the neighboring country… I was captured and sold into servitude, and forced to learn the language of my captors. Then, I was sold again… and the cycle repeated as I learned dozens of languages. I had forgotten my culture… and my identity."

Skull Face placed his hat back over his dead, pale scalp. "Every world has a lingua franca. Enough time in the Spirit World will make us forget our original tongue and speak the Language of the Gods. On Hyrule, the dominant language is Hylian. On Mira, it is Nopon. And on Earth, the merpeople and Nimbi learn to speak human, but those humans come to gravitate toward the English language. Memories of what we once were fade or transform, and most just stop caring."

Skull Face walked toward the blonde man. "This gentleman is Valentine. He was the President of the United States. He is still talked about in history books, but during his time, he was beloved. He sought the growth and prosperity of his country and was a hero to his people. But so many presidents came after him, and his legacy disappeared over the ages. One day… there will come a time when your descendants forget you." Skull Face turned toward the parents. "Nigel and Rachel Uno have been succeeded by their children, and those children may be succeeded by theirs and so on. Your memory may exist in history books, but they will soon stop caring. Just where are your other relatives, your ancestors that have died? You do not care for them… you only look toward the future. By now, those ancestors could have transformed in some way. Some spirits return to the Mortal World as reincarnations, but as a result, they forget who they once were, and transform all the same."

"And just what does it matter to you?" Nigel asked. "Usually, whenever a couple creeps show up uninvited to a party, they're up to something awful."

"What we want…" began Valentine, going over to the milk table, "is to not let our afterlives go to waste. Although our legacies and existences may be forgotten… it does not mean we can't begin anew." He poured himself a glass of strawberry milk. "The first person who decided to milk a cow… was forgotten, yet they set the example for all to follow. They were immortalized simply by future generations continuing to do what they did. The ones who decided the proper way to pronounce words… the proper ways to speak… Those who first designed the fork and knife, or the proper way to eat… Was it the gods? No. The gods merely lay the groundwork. The gods built the planets, blessed them with their chis, and gave those planets the ability to develop life. From then on, it was up to the mortals to decide how to develop their selves and their world. And when the gods blessed the mortals with bending, all techniques that were developed, from summoning meteors to achieving Logia, were all developed by mortals. The first Logia was Acnologia, and then Viridi and Hexxus mimicked his example in their physical forms."

"Across history, there have been millions of cultures and voices that were lost to the annals of time." Skull Face continued. "And though those spirits remain in this world, they have long forgotten who they were. Even the birth of this New Universe could not save them all. Their languages transformed and adapted. There may even come a time when the lingua franca on each world assimilates them all. Their cultures will be destroyed, just as mine was. But perhaps there is a way to stop that. A way to not only destroy the power of the lingua franca, but to restore all that had been lost. Yes… the Tower of Babel."

"The Tower of Babel?!" Nolan repeated. "Then the one who orchestrated that attack wasn't Bayonetta… it was you?!"

"Yes… Bayonetta had lost her identity also, being the last of the cursed Umbra Witches. She has no memory of even her parents. Perhaps recalling her tongue could recall her memory? The Tower of Babel was built by Meloetta to archive all the languages in the universe. But when archives are burned, the knowledge is lost. Babel is therefore a core in that regard. I will free the forgotten voices from Babel's hold and release them to the universe, and in the process, erase the dominant languages that are destroying the worlds."

Nolan drew his Zanpakutō. "You have to be one brain-dead idiot… to walk in here and say that to a bunch of strong, highly-trained former operatives."

"That may be… but my heart isn't made of stone." And so, he withdrew the Trefoil Knot device from his black coat.

The device brimmed a bright green—Dimentia sensed an explosion was imminent. With swift thinking, she focused her Space Chi around the room and warped all of their friends, reappearing at the courtyard of the hotel. "Phew, that was—AAAH!" Suddenly, the device appeared above them via another teleport—Dimentia and Nolan impulsively jumped down the escalators with a flash-like step. The device exploded into a bright green, see-through sphere of light. The courtyard was completely unharmed, but everyone within the sphere's radius turned into solid stone.

Nolan and Dimentia ran back up after the light faded. Nolan ran up to Yuki's statue, brushing the skin with his bare hand. "Their souls transformed into pure Earth Chi…"

"Don't try to break them open!" Dimentia cautioned. She approached the device on the ground and picked it up. "This is a Zanpakutō. Did it belong to—AAH!" A Starburst struck her arm, causing her to throw it up. (Play "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" by AC/DC!)

The device was caught by Skull Face. He and Valentine stood behind a Zathurian identical to Dimentia, wearing a black and yellow dress. "Nya ha ha ha!" Ibara ran up the escalators and joined the men. "It seems the plan nearly worked like a charm!" He took back the device from Skull Face.

"Who… are you?!" Dimentia asked the identical woman. That attire she wore perfectly resembled the last clothing she wore as a mortal.

"For my clone, you look a little different than I was expecting." 'Dimentia' remarked, hands glowing with chi. "Don't even think about touching President Valentine."

The two whipped right when another figure warped out of space: Dimentia recognized her younger self in jester clothes. "Aha hahahaha! Seeing myself as an adult is just insulting!" she spoke crazily. "The only grown-up I respect is Valentine!"

Valentine drew his sword and declared, "For the love of justice, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap!" He got between the statues of Dillon and Corey, and from them, clones of the two appeared. He pulled out clones of Nigel, Rachel, Mika, Yuki, and the other party-goers.

"A cloning Zanpakutō?!" Nolan exclaimed, dodging ice blasts from Yuki and fire from Nigel. Dimentia raised her arms in defense against Rachel's sword, but reacted to counter Starbursts from her copies.

"My Zanpakutō, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, allows me to open the multiverse." Valentine began. "Ever since this universe began, millions of alternate realities were born. Those realities were extremely small and fragmented, possessing even the most miniscule differences. For example, Dimentia, the adult clone you are fighting just had a reunion with her parents and imprisoned brother. However, that clone was hit by a tomato and an egg."

"A tomato and egg?! When the Tallests and Rumpel tried to prank me?! But I felt them coming and warped the food against them!"

"Yes, but this Dimentia was not so fortunate. You see, it's like playing a videogame: if the player had pressed the Dodge button, you would have avoided the enemy's attack. By not pressing the button, you are hit by the attack. A bunch of play-throughs of a single game create multiple universes and realities within that game. However, there is only one 'canon' within the context of that game. That 'canon' is known as the Miracle Universe. It seems that you possess God Chi, Dimentia, as none of your parallels have it. Only this universe, the world with gods, Firstborn, and every amazing thing that has happened, is known as the Miracle. All other parallels are merely inferior universes that have been snuffed out by the Miracle, but my Zanpakutō allows me to recall those universes and bring forth their inhabitants."

"So, you're another version of Dillon and Corey?!" Nolan asked his opponents. "Then why are you attacking me?!"

"Because you're President Valentine's enemy, duh!" Dillon retorted.

"I-I-I-I-I won't lose to you!" Corey stuttered.

"As a bonus, when I recall parallel universes," Valentine explained, "I am worked into their memory as a close friend whom they will fight for."

"So, you can't even fight for yourself, you damn coward?!" Nolan yelled, bashing Nigel's head into the ground before slamming him into Yuki.

"I don't think my associates are quite interested in a fight right now."

"?!" Nolan realized Skull Face and Ibara were running down the escalator. "GET BACK HERE!" Nolan dashed after them.

Ibara looked back and yelled, "One meter, one second!" tossing his device up—Nolan launched an energy rope straight at Ibara, snagging and flying towards the man, escaping the device's radius. Ibara was tackled, the two tumbling down the escalator, while Skull Face jumped off the side. He landed on the back of a winged Hollow and made the flight to land.

As Nolan and Ibara tumbled, the hero punched the ancient man's jaw, but Ibara dug his long nails into Nolan's neck, then used a Thrust of Spirit Chi to blow Nolan off. Ibara resumed escape down the stairs, pulling his device back. In the process, they had knocked over several people riding the escalator, and people riding the up-escalator looked over to that side with worry. Whatever conflict was happening over there, they hoped it wouldn't come their direction.

Skull Face flew under the escalators and rose up beside the up-escalator. "Encase them, One That Covers." Drawing a gun-type Zanpakutō, he quickly shot the people on the elevator, the spirits screaming as parasites developed and engulfed their bodies. Some of those people became fiery, some developed strong armor, and others were misty. He ordered the spirits to run back down the stairs.

Nolan caught up to Ibara and fired a Soul Beam at him, Ibara dodging and countering with spirit flames. Ibara twirled the device and willed it to emit a green light as he launched it at Nolan back-and-forth like a yo-yo. "My Zanpakutō, Dr. Stone, allows me to turn any form of Spirit Chi into Earth Chi. My people once harnessed the powers of Medusa in our punishment rituals, but alas, we fell to ruin."

"Sounds like you should be in the Underworld!" Nolan yelled, dodging his way up to Ibara and landing a cut to his hip. Afterwards, Ibara used Flash Step to escape, then whirled Dr. Stone around himself to turn the air into stone: its path left strips of earth floating in the air, forming into a sphere. Nolan forcefully punched the stone until he broke an opening, but then Dr. Stone flew through the gap and exploded, Nolan jumping away as it was just wide enough to nearly catch him.

Nolan sensed something behind him and gasped, seeing the spirits transformed by Skull Face. A fiery spirit threw a punch, Nolan ducking and stabbing it, but as the spirits surrounded him, he furiously slashed his blade to cut down as many as possible. He saw Skull Face jump off his winged Hollow and raise his gun. "My Zanpakutō, One That Covers, allows me to create and reproduce parasites that can enhance the bodies of other spirits, but also control them. These enhanced spirits are known as 'Skulls.' But recently, I was able to give them a special upgrade. Allow me to show you…"

Skull Face withdrew a bottle; Nolan recognized it as one of the milk bottles, but it now had golden water inside it. The Skulls ceased their attack as Skull Face tossed the bottle to Nolan. (End song.)

Back on the courtyard, Dimentia was able to KO most of the clones, but her legs were froze by Yuki, and her child self formed a Space Block and exploded it, melting the ice as Dimentia endured it. "You are holding yourself back." Valentine said.

"Huh?!" Dimentia gasped.

"I sense tremendous chi inside you, and yet you are restrained. It is just as the gods do not interfere even with quarrels among us spirits. I can only assume that, whatever you are, you act according to a similar law. You cannot interfere with our plan. Perhaps you will not interfere at all. Stop, my comrades!"

The parallels ceased as Valentine calmly approached Dimentia. "You are a very admirable woman… Dimentia." He raised his left hand and molded a beautiful rose of blue and white chi. "You are a woman who obeys the law. No matter what, you cannot break that law. For the sake of this universe's natural law, for the sake of our natural growth and progression, for the sake of our mission, you will not attack me. You cannot attack me. You cannot break these invisible chains."

Indeed… it felt like a thousand giant chains were binding her arms and legs. Even if she wanted to attack him, she couldn't. Although she could act in self-defense, she couldn't interfere with the natural fate of the universe. But still, she wished she could do more. Even warping all of her friends a moment ago was a dangerous move, but it didn't even matter.

Valentine turned and walked away. "But just in case, it's handy to have a bit of extra leverage." And so, he grabbed the statue of Jirachi and quickly jumped between two statues.

"HEY!" Dimentia ran up, but Valentine had disappeared. The parallels began to flee the area. Dimentia sensed Nolan fighting down on the main land, so she raced down the escalators.

"This is… Reflecting Water." Nolan said, holding the bottle close to his face. "What…What is…?!"

The gold water depicted an image of the Murphy Family, enjoying a nice dinner. However, their conversation came to a standstill when the Murphys became unable to speak, their vocals totally mute. The image changed to one of the Heartly Family: Jeremiah was delighted to have his wife and daughter back again. Unfortunately, the husband seemed to go silent suddenly. Nolan saw visions of Hoagie and Abby, Wallabee Beatles, and Bartie Stork going mute.

"Using a special 'upgrade' to my Zanpakutō, One That Covers is now able to harness the Sound Chi from language itself." Skull Face explained. "For the past year, I have sent my parasites inside of people to adapt with multiple different tongues. From them, they would be signaled to attack other people who spoke those languages. As a result, their voices have been completely absorbed by the parasites. They won't be speaking another word. Not in their own language, anyway."

"But that's impossible! Zanpakutō shouldn't have this large an effect on mortals!"

"Oh, Sandman, don't you know? There's always ways to bend the rules. While my Skulls only maintain their powers for a limited time, the effect of my Vocal Parasites is permanent. Ah, but I wonder if the Tower of Babel could restore their voices? After all, it brims with Meloetta's Sound Chi, it could surely defeat the Sound Chi that composes these parasites, while also giving them brand new voices."

"You just want me to open the Tower of Babel! But I'll force you to stop them MYSELF—AAAGH!"

Bayonetta landed a whipping kick to Nolan's gut before going to join Skull Face. Ibara had conjured twin stone pillars, from which Valentine returned with Jirachi's statue. Dimentia made it down the escalators and ran to help Nolan up, both facing the villains. "Dimentia, catch them! Use a Space Block, minimize them, something!"

"I…I can't."

"What?! What did they do to you?"

Again, Dimentia felt the invisible chains appear around her. "I can't… interfere… I'm sorry… Nolan…"

"What a shame…" Skull Face approached them. "A shame to be bound by the law. A shame to be forced to adapt to new laws."

Nolan ran to slash him, but Skull Face conjured a Black Coffin to trap the Sandman, piercing the coffin with energy spears from all around. The coffin dispersed as Sandman fell to the ground. "In time, the York name will disappear from the world, too, and you'll be but a phantom." Sandman glared up at Skull Face's black silhouette against the moon. "Your justice and identity will be forgotten with your legacy. But don't worry. My parasites won't kill anyone. All those poor people can adapt to the old languages, once I restore them."

Skull Face returned to Bayonetta and his accomplices. "I will restore the ancient voices, and restore the memory of the cultures that were lost. I will make a new home for them. And perhaps…" Skull Face raised his gun to his head, "this little one… can have a home, too."

Bayonetta twirled her swords and declared, "Madama Butterfly, Witch Time, is it?" Time completely slowed in her vision, and she pulled her allies in as well. With that, the four turned away and left the vicinity.

In Nolan's and Dimentia's vision, they had zipped away in a heartbeat. The Skulls and parallels resumed their attack as Nolan fought them off and Dimentia defended herself.

Soul Beams were fired at the monsters as Nolan saw Sector SCYTHE, REAP, and Emily appear. "YO, what the hell is goin' on?!" Beat rapped.

"Mr. York, was that Bayonetta?!" Maka Albarn asked. "Who was she with?"

Nolan struggled to respond, unable to wrap his head around all the events that had transpired. "Urgh…Balder is going to be really pissed…"

* * *

**Skull Face is from _Metal Gear_, Ibara is from _Dr. Stone_, Valentine is from _JoJo_.**


	3. Compelled By Duty

**Our journey semi-begins with new traveling companions!**

* * *

**_Chapter 3: Compelled By Duty_**

**Castle Hell**

The Spirit KND regrouped in the castle as Nolan and Dimentia recapped the incident to Death the Kid. "Skull Face… Tower of Babel… a parasite that developed from a Zanpakutō… is it even possible?"

"We have to do something about this!" Nolan stated. "Whatever those parasites are, there have to be a few of us that can destroy them and save the victims! They should technically be spirits if they came from a Zanpakutō!"

"We can't without the proper investigating. What if the parasites are ordered to kill the people immediately if we get too close? What if the parasites are linked to their life force? Even trying to capture Skull Face is a risk in that regard, especially if he's now holding Jirachi as a hostage!"

"But Skull Face also said they were made with Sound Chi. Remember what happened during the Pirate War? What if Sugar hosted a musicbending concert that all the patients heard, would the parasites be defeated by that? If her musicbending could reverse the effects of timebending, then surely…"

"That's certainly a possible solution, but it also brings attention to another concern. If Skull Face is targeting the Tower of Babel, he'll need the Firstborn Meloetta. No doubt, his accomplices will try to capture her. We should make a plan to find and protect Meloetta."

"We should also probably guard the Tower of Babel." Dimentia suggested.

"Balder mentioned that the tower was impenetrable without the Lost Voices." Nolan replied. "What are those?"

"The Lost Voices," Kid answered, "are the languages of four, very ancient civilizations that once worshipped Meloetta. They submitted their very own languages as the keys to the Tower of Babel, ultimately losing their ability to speak them. Now, those Voices are hidden in four hidden sanctuaries across the Spirit World."

"Pretty much falls in line to what Skull Face was saying. But in that case, we should probably secure them along with Meloetta. Skull Face's minions probably know where-"

"YOU will do no such thing."

They faced the entrance: Divine Angel Balder marched into the office. The head of the angel boy, Leic hung upside-down outside the office door, having followed Balder out of child-like curiosity.

Balder stood on the right of Nolan and Dimentia. "Mr. York, do not think I can't see into your heart. I was listening to the whole conversation, including Skull Face's suggestion that the Tower of Babel could restore their voices. You wish to unite the Lost Voices and open the tower."

"I already know he's trying to trick me!"

"And yet, you feel there is truth to his words. You feel that as long as you can stop him, you can safely use the tower. But such a risk is too dangerous. I, for one, do not believe that Skull Face's ability could destroy their voices, ergo there is no need to open the tower. If we do, then we risk the languages altogether, and there will be mass panic and chaos. We cannot open the tower for a second with such a risk. Vermin like Skull Face will not have their way. And speaking of vermin… Dimentia, I come bearing a message from His Lordship, God Arceus."

"A message?"

"Recently, Arceus has picked up a scent akin to the Daemonis, lurking around various planets in the Mortal World."

"A Daemonis?!"

"He wasn't sure if it was a Daemonis per se, but the scent is very similar. But he believes the duty should fall to you to see them dealt with."

"I'll get right to it immediately."

"But whatever it is, I can't help but wonder if your very being here is what attracted them to begin with. After all, isn't the usage of your chi what attracts them?"

"I only used a little bit when Skull Face attacked us."

"But you also sent a weapon to the Mortal World, did you not?"

"That used chi that was borrowed from Palkia, even though it was made with Phoenios tech."

"Be that as it may, the point is that your being here is a danger to this universe and it would be better not to have you around. After all, you were already abusing Jirachi for the longest time, and no one could do anything about it. What stopped you from attacking my homeland? I lived nearly one million years ago, during which time you had already developed your empire. I was among the many adults you mindlessly slaughtered in your pitiful quest."

Dimentia bit her lip, struck by this sudden revelation. Upon thorough examining… "You were one of the Lumen preachers… The ones trying to make children worship the gods…"

"My ways of teaching may have been strict, but they were not deserving of death, not that it mattered to you. No matter how much you think you changed, you're as big a menace as you were on that day!"

With a swift motion, his two-ended sword was drawn, one of them slashing through Dimentia and suspending a child in the air. Nolan recognized it as Dimentia's younger self in jester clothes, no different than what Valentine had done moments ago… and yet, Dimentia looked upon the child with confusion. "Who is… that?"

Balder twirled the weapon and forced the child back into Dimentia again. "My Zanpakutō can strip a person's early years of memory and make them embody physical form, their age relative to the amount of years taken. I wanted to remind you of the harm you caused to this universe. You should know that the gods are still very angry about that incident that occurred on the _Noah_. It is not only the fault of the Daemonis, but your superiors for not keeping a better eye on them."

"I was angry about it, too! But it wasn't my fault that they-"

"And now we are expected to rely on YOU to keep them at bay. Mark my words, if this 'Daemonis' causes too much damage and you are unable to stop it, I will see to it you are not welcome here again!"

Balder then faced Nolan and immediately continued, "And as for you, Mr. York, neither you nor your Spirit KND are allowed to get anywhere near the Lost Voices. My Divine Angels will protect them from Skull Face's forces and subsequently bring them to justice, but should we catch you in the area, you will be thrown into the Fog of Lost Souls."

"My friends were turned to statues, and my living friends are being poisoned, I need to stop them!"

"My orders are final. Kid, I expect you to keep them under control. Good day to you all." And with that, Balder turned—the Spirit Kids peeping into the room quickly retracted their heads, looking totally nonchalant as Balder marched out of the room. Once he was outside, the angel spread his wings and flew back to the Spirit World.

"Sigh…just stand down for now, Nolan." Kid sighed. "We can at least make a plan to secure Meloetta… provided he allows."

Nolan sighed with a grumble, stepping out of the room with Dimentia. "I… should probably get going." Dimentia said somberly. "What are you going to do?"

"Probably sulk for a bit, then go against orders."

"Hm-hm. Well, whatever happens, I hope you can stop Skull Face. I'm sorry I couldn't help, but… Balder is right. Interfering with the 'Fate' of this universe gives rise to Chaos, unless the Daemonis were interfering as well."

"Then you'd better stop them from interfering. Don't forget, Dimentia, we're still KND at heart. Protecting the people of this universe is our duty."

"Yeah… it is."

**Sector WITCH Treehouse**

"There you go, Uno-san!" Maria smiled as she placed a flower crown over the bald head of the Nigel statue, making his shock-stricken expression seem just a bit prettier. "Now you have the perfect hat to cover your bald spot, uuuuu!"

The stone statues of Nolan's friends were placed around the treehouse's extravagant outdoor garden as decorations. Nolan was slouched on a bench between Dillon and Corey's terrified statues. "Don't feel sad." Maria said as she approached him with a lollipop. "York-san is a good man, and York-san's friends are good. That means good things will happen to them."

"The good things don't just happen, Maria. You have to make them happen. That's why I can't just sit here. But I've never really worked against the law in a long time. I can't ask anyone for help, or else they'll get in trouble."

"Maybe some food will help you feel better. Look, Gohda-san is here!"

A muscular butler with a sweet smile, narrowed eyes, and smooth green hair walked in with cooked lobster slathered in a sparkling brown sauce, accompanied by tomatoes with ghostly leaves. "A Rock Lobster Spirit made soft by Soften Sweet Gravy, with salad made with Soul-Soothing Salad over Heart-Throbbing Tomatoes."

"I've been wondering, isn't it disrespectful to the spirits to eat them?" Nolan asked.

"York-san, the spirits give to us by nourishing us." Gohda responded. "It is a law of nature no different from the Mortal World. And besides, spirits will reform over the course of time. You only disrespect them by not eating them."

"I'm not a chef, so I'll take your word for it."

"York-san, this is Gohda, one of my family's butlers." Maria introduced.

"It's an honor to be serving you, York-san." Gohda made a pose with his right arm, angling it so the hand lay horizontally at the chest. "I do hope you enjoy my cooking. Maria-chan calls me the 'Golden Chef,' and I am bound to live up to the title."

Nolan chewed off a piece of the lobster, his soul growing softer from its tasty, soft exterior. "Ahhh…it's not good to eat when you're upset, but it sure does make a man feel whole again."

"Nolaaaaan!" The three looked to the sky as Emily Dickson flew down to the garden. "Nolan, I've been keeping tabs on the situation; one of the Lost Voices was already stolen from its sanctuary!"

"What?! Dammit, we have to do something about this, Emily! We have to find the other Voices before Skull Face!"

"But the Angels have guards stationed around all the other sanctuaries. There's a battle taking place at a fortress where the Voice was taken, I'm sure they'll get it back before long."

"It's no good. Skull Face will just move the Voice again if the Angels get too close. I don't care what Balder says, I have to get it back myself. All we need is good old-fashioned stealth."

"I'm sorry, Nolan, but I don't really wanna risk angering the Angels. No offense, but I have a family to get back to."

"Sigh…it's okay. Still, I don't want to attempt this alone. And there's only so much Maria can do with espionage."

"Uuuu…it's true." Maria frowned.

"From what I hear," Gohda began, "almost every spirit who specialized in espionage in life have all retired from the act… except for one particular case of a man who's invaded various Hollow Hives for their resources, and has escaped with hardly any of them noticing."

"Yeah? And who might that be?" Nolan asked.

**Hollow Hive** (Play "Encounter" from _Smash Brawl_!)

Within the dark depths of a Hollow Hive, a fearless old man charged bravely. Donned in a gray camouflage suit with several packs of equipment, a gray headband, complete with grey hair and a mustache on his wrinkled face, he hid behind a stone when an Ursa (a bear Hollow) marched out of a tunnel on the right. After confirming the beast was alone, he shot it in the head with a Heaven Gun. There were some Boarbatusks sleeping in the passage, twigs littering the ground to alert them of intruders, but some quick jumps of the Flash Step allowed the man to skip across the twigs gracefully without alerting them.

The man made it to a central room, atop a path where multiple windows viewed inside. He hid behind a wall as a Menos looked over, a very tall Hollow with a black body, almost resembling a thin mountain, a long-nosed skull, and spikes around its neck. The Menos rotated, examining the openings of the winding passage, but the man stayed low and crawled against the bottom of the wall. A Beowolf was crawling up, but the man extracted a cardboard box and hid inside it. The Beowolf noticed the box and went to sniff it. …Finding nothing suspicious, it kept patrolling. Once it was gone, the man pulled the box off and continued.

He made his way all the way to the bottom and snuck into another corridor. A Sabyr Hollow (resembling a saber-tooth tiger) was guarding the path, but the man got down and crawled quietly until he was close enough to shoots its skull and destroy it. He came to a giant hive where millions of Lancers (wasp Hollows) were swarming about. The man drew a Sonic Grenade, bit it open, and threw. The grenade exploded with a soundwave that caused the spirits to go crazy, not paying him any mind as he snuck past.

Inside a room with an altar, four Seers were floating about. They were orb-shaped Hollows with tentacles, and would serve to alert the hive of intruders. The man hid around the corner, studying their movement carefully. There eventually came a point where they all bundled on the opposite side, allowing the man to creep up, swipe the box on the table, and swap it for a fake. With that, he made his grand escape from the hive, bypassing all the Hollows using the same maneuvers again. (End song.)

The man escaped from the hive and raced up the nearby hill. Reaching the edge of the woods, he stood calmly and opened the box. Inside were cigarettes, one of which he proceeded to light, the flame turning gold and bright like a sun. "Solaris Cigarettes. Ahhh…tastes like Heaven." He smoked the cigarette peacefully.

Little did he know that a hand was reaching from the darkness. "Gotcha." It grabbed his shoulder.

_"WRAAAAAAAH (WRAAAAAAH, wraaaaaaahhh…)!"_ The old man's scream of agony echoed for miles.

"Settle down, I'm not an enemy." Nolan assured.

"Huh?" The man faced back at him curiously. "Who are you?"

"A fellow old man who likes to break into private businesses. Your name is David, right?"

"It's Snake. Solid Snake."

"I'm Nolan, but you can call me Sandman. I remember that you aided the Kids Next Door during the Firstborn Quest. You fought against GUN."

"The Kids Next Door? I was only really helping the metahumans that GUN imprisoned. I've been a soldier for GUN ever since I was born, but when I saw the unjust things they were doing to those innocent people, I just couldn't approve. Commander Gunkan abused his power and acted based on a childhood grudge. I rejoined them after he learned his lesson…sigh, but my age crept up on me quicker than I thought. So what, were you one of those operatives? Come to say 'Thank you'?"

"I suppose I do owe thanks for what you did for them. However, I wanted to recruit you for a mission. You seem like you haven't slowed down in the afterlife."

"A mission? What kind?"

"Classic espionage. But let's not talk out here; too many dark spirits. Let's meet inside the dollhouse."

"The doll what?" Snake asked as Nolan led him to a horse-drawn carriage, where Maria held the reins for sentient rocking horses.

"Hello, Snake-san." Maria greeted, shaking the adult's hand with both of hers. "My name is Ushiromiya Maria."

"Nice to meet you, kid."

"Bleh! Snake-san's breath smells like smoke, uu-uu. Snake-san should have candy, uuuu!" She presented a jack-o-lantern lollipop to Snake.

"I don't eat candy, kid. Grown-ups have to watch their sugar intake."

"Uuuuu! Snake needs candy! Snake is younger than Maria. Candy is fine, uuuu~"

"If you don't, she'll turn you into a butterfly." Nolan warned. "Trust me, she did it to Dillon one time."

"Uuuu…" Snake moaned in agony as he unwrapped and stuck the sweet in his mouth.

"There you go, Snake-san~. Now, hold still, Maria will put you in her dollhouse."

Snake glanced at one of the dollhouses on Maria's seat. "You don't expect me to fit inside that-"

"Dollify, Sakutaro! Uuuuu!" She cast a spell on the adults, turning them into strips of light that flew into the little house.

"Agh…what the-?!" Snake gasped, surrounded by colorful walls and decorations.

"This is quality travel." Nolan remarked, going to the kitchen. "We have real food, some TV, good medication, and this house serves as a barrier to sensory abilities."

"Sigh…the 'Kids Next Door' is exactly what I imagined it to be."

Maria began steering the carriage through the forest while the men spoke inside the dollhouse's living room. Nolan explained to him the incident that happened with the Tower of Babel, and how the Angels forbade the KND from interfering with the situation. "This is Skull Face." Nolan slapped a file on the table. "He's responsible for the attack. And these are his accomplices, Valentine, Ibara, and Bayonetta."

"President Valentine? I heard the man was a legend back in his day. Why is he working with these crooks?"

"Perhaps pursuing some sense of justice, who knows? Anyway, I heard they've stolen one of the Lost Voices. It was taken to a stronghold, but I fear they'll relocate it if the Angels cause too much commotion. I have to take matters into my own hands, and I need a fellow Stealth Master to help me."

"At the risk of being punished by the Divine Angels?"

"You worked against GUN, I thought you would be fine with it."

"Picking a fight with God's lapdogs is different than with the World Government's lapdogs. Suppose we get the Voice, where do we put it?"

"We can hide it in the dollhouse. Like I said, this place hides from sensory powers."

"I was seriously going to joke that we hide it in this 'pretty little dollhouse,' but you nullified my joke!"

"All Maria has to do is keep traveling, and if we stay low, neither Skull Face nor Balder will suspect her. I heard that no one outside the SKND knows she's an operative; it's so that she can sneak people close to strongholds in this manner. Furthermore, she even has a magic clone to keep appearances in the treehouse in case any operatives come to visit."

"It's not exactly comforting to rely on a kid for this type of thing."

"We sort of have to rely on kids in this occupation, but I'd like to rely on adults, too. So, will you help me with this?"

"Hmmm…fine. After all, life is boring when I'm not on a battlefield. I feel like I always need to be active. So, saving the universe sounds like a good way to do that."

"I can empathize with you already."

"But while we're traveling, feel like watching a few tapes from my good old days?" Snake opened one of his pouches, revealing some tapes.

"Sure. Maria has one of those old-timey TVs, thankfully."

**Gates of Heaven**

Dimentia left the Underworld and stood by the Spirit World's gates to recollect herself. Beside her, a chibi being with blue shiny hair and white garb similar to hers appeared. "We mustn't waste time. We must focus our minds and locate the being Balder spoke of." the mini male said in a calm voice.

"I know, but… I'm just tired of always being forced back to my past, meeting people that won't let me forget."

"I hope Arceus will give him a good talking later."

"Yeah, like a talking ever really taught anybody."

"Who are you talking to?"

"YAH!" Dimentia yelped and whipped around. A young angel boy in an oversized white robe was staring up at her with an innocent expression, his cute head tilted, hands behind his back, and his feet crossed like a triangle. "Oh, hi there. …Haha, you're a pretty quiet boy if you could sneak up on me."

"I hid my chi! I kinda followed Balder from the church and eavesdropped on you guys. All that stuff he said was pretty mean. I hope you aren't too hurt."

"Well, I appreciate the consideration. But it's okay, I'm fine."

"That's good. Y'know, you remind me of someone I know. Kinda, sorta. Want some chocolate?" He held up a candybar.

"Sure, I didn't eat much at the party." Dimentia picked it up. "…Hey, wanna see a cool trick?" She focused power and turned the bar into a rabbit, then a duck.

"Wooow!" The child's eyes brightened. "That's like instant arts and crafts!"

Dimentia proceeded to eat the chocolate. "Anyway, I have to go. Thanks."

"Wait!" The boy grabbed her shirt. "You're gonna go fight an evil monster, right? Let me come with you!"

"This job is kinda dangerous for a kid."

"But I'm a Spirit Operative! A highly trained one, too. Look what my Zanpakutō can do: Pacify, Flutterwing!" He drew a sword as it transformed into a colorful butterfly shape, placing it to Dimentia's chest.

Butterflies fluttered out of her being as she felt herself laugh from a tickly feeling. "Hahahaha! I actually feel kinda better!"

"I could feel you were tense, so I turned your negative emotions into butterflies. They're gonna come back after a while, but a moment of laughter makes the soul healthy. I can turn spirits and energy into butterflies, too!"

"That's nice, but this job still might be too dangerous for you."

"But I gotta come! My friends just got done with a really hard war, so I can't let some monster ruin everything. At least let me tag along and watch you. You look cool!"

"Hehehe…" Hearing praise from an innocent boy felt refreshing after her previous talk. "Well… I guess in case some dark spirits try to attack, you can help me fight."

"What?!" yelled the chibi man. "Dimentia, this boy can't come along! This mission is totally out of his league, and besides, he's…"

"It should be fine if we're not keeping him from some major event. You're not busy with anything else, are you?"

"Nothing but the norm!" He cheered. "So, were you talking to someone?"

"Oh, I was talking to Plex. He's a voice in my head."

"Imaginary Friends are fun! My name is Leic Spirithive. So, where are we going?"

"Let me see…" Dimentia and Plex focused their minds, sensing for an aura that could resemble a Daemonis. "…I'm seeing a planet… whose upper hemisphere is covered in clouds, with a big tree at the very top. It's Mira!"

"Okay!" Leic happily climbed onto Dimentia's shoulders. "To Planet Mira we go!"

"No, you are not coming." Plex climbed up her left and tugged on his robe. "Off. Get off." He tried to slap him. "No children allowed."

"No offense, Plex, but traveling alone isn't the law of this universe. And I kind of prefer someone 'present.'"

"Then why don't we send one of our own to help, they'll certainly be more qualified!"

"They can handle their own problems. This universe is my home and it's my job to protect it, no matter what Balder says. In fact, for the sake of saving a bit of energy… Leic, can you Descend us down to Mira?"

"Sounds like a plan." Leic focused his chi and called forth a ray of light, carrying himself and Dimentia to the Mortal World.

_DDLC Side Quest: Bone-Crushing Tale: What is believed to be a Daemonis is wreaking havoc in the Mortal World. Play as Dimentia and hunt the fiend down!_

_The player can now switch between Nolan and Dimentia's story arcs._

**Skull Base**

Skull Face and his band took refuge inside a hideaway, viewing in the distance as Divine Angels were attacking another stronghold. "Hmmm…the Angels are particularly adamant about protecting the Voices. I know that Babel is a sacred place, but I can't help but feel there's something more at play here."

"Our 'friend' won't be able to hold off this attack for long." Ibara said with a snide glare. "Where is that Umbra Wench?"

"She has a life outside of the Spirit World, you know, but she'll be back. Bayonetta feels that Babel can uncover the truth about her own origins. She won't back out when we're this close to unlocking it. And that 'Sandman' will be a valuable asset, too." Skull Face withdrew a metal capsule, a tiny light floating inside the glass. "My parasite is sure to have affected him by now. He will be determined to gather the Voices…"

**Coruscant hotel**

"Check it out, Bayonetta. Nabbed me a hundred thousand big ones for those Gold Lynel heads and Goddess Plumes." boasted a short, chubby man with a round black cap and shaded glasses, wearing a green winter coat and red scarf. He spoke with a Brooklyn accent. "I tell ya, the underworld business is bustling when ya have your own link to the Underworld. But don't leave me hangin' for so long; do ya get a kick out of pissin' off Arceus's Angels or somethin'? Listen, I saw that big motherfucker 23 years ago and I decided I want nothin' to do with it. So, don't go draggin' his pony-ass my direction, ya dig?"

Bayonetta, who seemed much too tall for the room, sat cross-legged on a rather short chair. She was looking at a window, dim light poking through the blinds, frowning in thought. "What's wrong, Bayonetta, still bummed after losin' to that bear and bird? You underestimated 'em, that's what ya did. Next time, bust out some more magic tricks, show 'em what you're really made of."

"It's more complicated than that, Enzo. I feel like I'm finally close to learning who I really am. To finally proving if the visions are true. Ever since I defended the Negatives from Balder, I've been seeing the Tower of Babel in my dreams."

"Yeah yeah, women always thinkin' about their dreams. I got dreams too, I dream of makin' it to my kids' birthday and sharin' a cake with 'em. And when I do, boy are they gettin' the allowance, haha! No worries, you'll still get your percent."

Bayonetta rolled her eyes at his rambling and continued thinking to herself.

**First Church**

Balder remained alone at the sacred altar, eyes closed in both thought and prayer. After all the stress he endured today, he needed the presence of Arceus… but could not bring himself to talk directly. He could not let his sin be discovered… yet, he wondered if Arceus already knew.

_Balder carried a small child with black hair and glasses into a cellar. He lay her sleeping form on the bed… then left the room and sealed the door. Later, the child awoke. She looked around in confusion and worry. "Mummy? Daddy? Where am I?…"_

Balder opened his eyes and turned when Ash Landers stepped in. "My Lord, have you seen Leic anywhere?"

"Isn't that boy _your_ responsibility?"

"Yes, but I thought he might…oh well. Perhaps he returned to the Mortal World. More importantly, the Angels we've sent to retrieve the Voice have been faltering. They were attacked by clones that we assume were conjured by Valentine."

"What a troublesome ability. Send in more from the Paradisos and eliminate those copies."

* * *

**Enzo is also from _Bayonetta_, and Snake comes from _Metal Gear_! Some of the Hollows are also Grimm from _RWBY_ because they just look similar. XD**


	4. The Voice of Lingering Regrets

**In this part, we tackle the first two levels!**

* * *

**_Chapter 4: The Voice of Lingering Regrets_**

A spotlight shone on a small, wood chair against a gray brick wall. A camera faced directly at the chair. A wrinkly old man with grey hair, a headband, and a military uniform walked slowly from stage right and sat on the chair. He took out a cigarette and spoke to the camera. "Smoking looks cool, right kids? You see adults do it all the time. But did you know smoking can lead to premature aging, lung cancer, a weakened immune system, and all kinds of other nasty things? I remember when I first started smoking. I went from 42 to 84 in a heartbeat. So, if you ever think about smoking, just look at me: Solid Snake." He pretended to inhale the unlit cigarette. "Cough, cough!"

Snake watched the video on an old TV with a hint of regret in his eyes. "Sigh, what a way to spend my last days on Earth."

"At least you gave a Grade 'A' performance." Nolan replied. "But did you really get that old just from smoking?"

"Probably, but there was a bit more at play. That would take a while to explain. But since I'm dead, there's nothing to stop me now." With that, Snake proceeded to light a cigarette and blew smoke out the window.

"No! Bad Snake-san!" Maria flicked her scepter and turned the cigar into a candycane. The young mage was driving the rocking-horse carriage along a cliffside at night, the horizon covered by clouds. "The smoke grows big when it leaves the dollhouse! It's wrong to smoke around children, uu-uu!"

"Yeah, Snake. Maria was kind enough to let us play in her dollhouse, the least we can do is be polite." Nolan said.

"This is not what I signed up for…"

"York-san, Gohda-san showed Maria a book from the Ushiromiya Library. It talks about the Lost Voices and the ancient cultures they once belonged to. I didn't read much, but I learned where the sanctuaries are located. There's a sanctuary built in each of the four 'realms' of the Spirit World: there's one in the main Spirit World, one in the Underworld, one in the Ghost Zone, and one in the Dream Realm."

"The Dream Realm is a part of the Spirit World?" Nolan asked.

"It's connected, but spirits aren't allowed to enter the Dream World without special permission. The Dream World is designed for mortals' subconscious, a place where they can let their mind wander and feel happy, uu-uu. And the Spirit KND don't need to go there because the Bubble Dreamers defend that world. …Look, York-san. I think we're there."

Miles away, they saw a small fleet of Divine Angels battling Hollows above a fortress built on the cliffside. Maria climbed off the carriage and walked to the edge, seeing a path going along the cliffside. Maria returned and shrank to enter the dollhouse. "There's a narrow path that seems to lead under the fortress, uu-uu. Maria can teleport you to the start of it. She'll drive the carriage somewhere far away so no one gets suspicious, uuu."

"Yeah, nothing suspicious about a kid steering rocking-horses." Snake remarked.

"Actually, children drive these things all the time here." Nolan corrected. "Surely, you must've noticed."

"I'm not a babysitter."

"Be careful, York-san and Snake-san. Maria hopes you find the Lost Voice and come back safely, uuu!" (Play "Cavern" from _Metal Gear Solid_.)

_Stage 1: Fortress of Lingering Regrets_

_Mission: Recover the Lost Voice._

With a wave of her scepter, Sandman and Snake were teleported onto the narrow path; even though they were still far from the Angels, it didn't hurt to be safe. The narrow path was broken up by several wide gaps, but these were no problem to leap over with the Flash Step. "So, Snake, what's your Zanpakutō?"

"I don't use one. All I have are these Infinite-Space Satchels that I purchased to carry my weapons. Among other items. Harnessing my inner chi was just never my style."

"Well, you are an expert. As for me, I have one, but I can't use its full power, yet. I think I'm strong enough to suffice, at least."

"Just be sure to keep your chi concealed for the most part. Otherwise, the Hollows will smell us a mile away." They saw a sewer pipe pouring liquid energy into the Abyss of Lingering Regrets. The adults crept into the pipe as Hollow rats crept through the filth, but were mercilessly stomped on. They found a smaller pipe on the side that they were able to crawl through. There was an upcoming vent, and when Snake glanced up, he saw an Arrancar guard entering the bathroom. He swiftly pounced out and choked the Arrancar in a sleeper hold. "So, Skull Face has a few Arrancar henchmen. A lot more easy to organize, so it makes sense."

"I'm impressed that you don't kill them the same as the Hollows." Nolan commented.

"I always saw the Arrancar as more 'human.'"

They set the unconscious spirit in one of the stalls. They peeked outside the restroom and sensed a Seer coming from around a corner. Snake went out first, going further down as he hid inside his cardboard box. When the Seer came around, it studied the box with confusion, but it was distracted long enough for Sandman to sneak up and SMASH it between his hands, the orb-shaped Hollow shattering. The adults backtracked where the Seer came from, finding stairs to an upper corridor. Guards patrolled that corridor, with one approaching the stairs, and another guarding a door further up. The closer one turned around, so Nolan crept up to Silent KO him, while Snake shot a Pacifier Bullet at the further guard's head before he noticed.

The next section was filled with red lasers placed in random, diagonal positions. Snake took note of the inactive blue lasers on the walls as well. "I've seen these before. If the lasers detect anyone leaving the ground, they'll change. Whatever you do, don't jump or Flash Step. One step at a time." Nolan complied as they carefully stepped over or ducked under the lasers. They reached an area with gaps in the floor: each gap had a blue laser wall on their side, and red lasers on the other side. "Sandman, we're gonna have to work together to pass these. Listen closely…"

They jumped to keep the blue, close lasers active. Nolan going first, he would take a running jump, deactivating the blues as he flew forward, but once he was past those lasers, Snake would quickly jump to deactivate the red lasers before Nolan touched them. Afterwards, they repeated the process for Snake to cross, and did so a few more times to bypass the other lasers. The hall would turn left, where two guards were stationed at a door. They looked further back and noticed a ceiling vent. Nolan pulled the vent open with an energy rope, then leapt in. He was able to crawl to a vent above the guards, quickly dropping down to KO them both. Afterwards, he and Snake quietly entered the door.

This next room was slightly wide and empty, but upon taking a few steps forward, both doors sealed with a dark barrier. "Unbelievable…" a voice echoed as Arrancar emerged from the darkness. "With all the Angels trying to distract us outside, I had a feeling a couple of worms would sneak into my fortress…"

A man stepped around one of the Arrancar, twirling two small guns on his fingers. He had white hair with a mustache and ponytail hanging over his right shoulder, and a light-brown trenchcoat. "But I never expected it to be you, Solid Snake. Or should I say… Old Snake?"

"What?! What in the world are you doing here?!"

"Snake, is he an old friend of yours?" Sandman asked.

"Indeed, we were." the man replied. "Guardian Units of Nations, FOXHOUND Division. Revolver…" Before continuing, he moved his hands to several positions, his guns still spinning. One hand above, one hand below, then he quickly whipped his arms to front and back, seeming to swap guns while keeping their rotation.

Sandman and Snake exchanged a weird glance. The man was now back-flipping and rolling while keeping them spinning. He then began juggling the revolvers. Afterwards, he went to a closet and came out on a unicycle, still juggling and maintaining a good balance. Snake sighed in annoyance at his antics, while Nolan was just confused. The man jumped off the unicycle and spun around on one foot, coming to a complete halt and grasping his guns firmly. "Ocelot!"

"You two were in GUN together?" Nolan asked.

"He betrayed GUN!" Snake hissed. "He ran off and joined some Anti-Government terrorist faction!"

"And then you betrayed GUN because you didn't like their metahuman treatment. Really, dear Snake, have you any right to judge? As for what I'm doing here, I was personally approached by President Valentine himself, to help in this little project he's working on. After all, destroying the corrupt governments of this universe is easy when the dominant languages are destroyed, so why not?"

"You were against the Earth World Government." Sandman figured. "You should know that that organization has fallen. The Earth's countries operate separately again, but they're still united by GUN and not to mention the KND."

"So, what? The governments are still corrupt, no matter where you look. I was all set to move the Lost Voice to another location, but now I'm interested, Snake. It could only be Fate that allowed me to meet you again. So, now I want to see if the legend persists even in death."

Snake drew a Heaven Gun. "I'm ready when you are."

"Not, yet. This room is a little too cramped for me. For now, I'll let these children play with you. These Arrancar had their masks removed directly by Skull Face, but because they couldn't fight the Hollow transformations on their own, they're not on par with proper Arrancar. They should at least be a decent warm-up for you. Don't keep me waiting, Snake." The ceiling opened up, and Ocelot twirled his guns with such speed that they lifted him up like propellers. Once high enough, the ceiling sealed up again.

The Arrancar drew swords and attacked—Snake punched one's gut and swiped the blade. He threw it aside and dealt an uppercut, then flipped behind another Arrancar to kick him into the former. Nolan swiftly punched in every direction to attack the spirits, then lashed an energy rope at one to take his sword. Two Arrancar threw Spirit Flames, Sandman blocking them with his sword. He linked his hands to shoot Pale Lightning and electrocute them, followed by Snake grabbing their heads and smashing them together.

Snake Flash Stepped behind an Arrancar, then dealt rapid-punches to his back before jumping and smashing him to the ground. He then swiftly picked up and threw his body to Sandman, who grabbed the legs and whirled around to take down the surrounding ones. They were still awake, so Nolan threw strong punches to KO them, then used a Thrust to blow one into Snake, who was waiting with a forceful punch. Only one Arrancar remained standing, so Nolan flew forth and kicked him into submission.

The dark barriers disappeared, allowing them to continue. The hall was covered by a pool of Dark Chi, a platform against the corner wall. Sandman had a Line Launcher that could shoot energy ropes to link points in front of and behind him in order to zipline across the darkness, Snake holding onto him. After landing on the platform, they would have to zipline across a hall of laser walls positioned either high or low. They climbed atop the Line Launcher to go over the low ones, ziplined under the high ones, and had to alternate between. They landed on a safe floor, but the passage was barred up, so they had to enter a door to the left.

They were inside a room with multiple, wide floor panels, a switch on the other side, trapped in a barrier. _"Can you keep up with the beat, Snake and Friend? Show me how good your Flash Steps are."_ Ocelot spoke through the speaker. Two panels lit up, so the adults picked one and Flash Stepped to it. More panels lit up, randomly around the floor, Sandman and Snake thinking fast and zipping to each one; if they touched any of the wrong panels, they would be electrocuted. After stepping on enough panels, the barrier disabled. Sandman could safely step up and pull the switch, opening the barred gate outside.

After passing it, they approached an electrified portion of the hall, with thick lasers skimming the wall up and down. "There must be a switch somewhere across. I'll use the missile launcher." Snake casually pulled a launcher out of one of his pouches.

"You just have a thing like that?!" Sandman exclaimed.

"Well, it's pretty noisy, so I only use it when there's no guards around." Snake launched the missile and was able to steer it, evading the lasers as necessary. He saw an electric outlet and crashed into it, disabling the electric floor and lasers. The men arrived at a staircase and saw a Pols Voice sleeping at the top, a Hollow with big ears that would sound the alarms if it heard anyone come up the stairs. They noticed these stairs were designed to press down and make music, but the monster was sleeping for now. Snake dropped a Sound Grenade, and when it exploded, the Hollow yelped and bent its ears shut as it shuddered. The men could run up the musical stairs as Sandman slashed the spirit.

They could feel several presences in the next large room. They snuck in quietly, finding a cylindrical room with a central tower, guards patrolling on walkways with guns. Their helmets would prevent the use of Pacifier Bullets. Ocelot was inside an office atop the tower, the Lost Voice rested on a pedestal. "So, Snake… who is that new friend of yours? Another war veteran? Another legend? Is he worthy to work alongside 'Solid Snake'? Or is he one of those Spirit KND? Don't tell me YOU'RE working for them, Snake! I thought you were better than that!"

There were two guards coming around the tower. Snake went to hide in a floor vent while Sandman grappled up to a platform along the wall. When the closer guard walked under Sandman, he dropped down, pulled him up, and Silent KO'ed him before setting him on the floor. The other guard was too far to notice this, and Snake was able to climb out and KO him. Snake hid again when a Seer was coming around; it would see him under the grates, so he crawled away quickly. However, when the Seer spotted the unconscious bodies, an alert was set off. (Play "Encounter" from _Metal Gear Solid_!)

"Men, we have intruders!" Ocelot yelled. "They're in this room! Search everywhere, the grates, the walls! Of course, I hope, for my sake, you fail…"

"I'll check around the bodies!" one of the Arrancar said, rushing to the two fallen. The walkway guards were viewing the platforms, so Sandman quickly swung to other ones before they noticed. Snake had crawled in the vent under the tower, but the guards were preparing to pump Dark Chi into the vents. Snake found a vertical vent and grappled up it, coming out of a vent on a walkway.

He sensed an upper guard using a flashlight to search the walls, and felt that Sandman would be discovered. Snake launched a missile to his left and exploded that wall, attracting the guard's attention. "What was that?! I heard an explosion!" In their distraction, Snake stood on the railing and grappled to the higher walkway, grabbing the guard from below and dealing the KO. A Seer was coming around, so Snake dropped back down, and the sentry sent an alert upon discovering the body. Two of the Arrancar on the floor grew wings to fly up there, but Snake had hid in his box to avoid detection.

The two Arrancar that went to check the explosion walked away when they didn't find anything. Sandman was able to grapple to the nearby platform and drop on one of them. After safely KOing him, he snuck up to defeat the next one. The Seer was coming back, so Sandman escaped. An alert was sent, so one of the Arrancar who just flew up returned down to investigate. Now, both Arrancar were standing next to a Seer to stay safe. Sandman molded his chi into a Smoke Bomb, throwing it toward the floor guards as the misty energy blinded them. Sandman was able to glide down, Stealth KO the Arrancar, then smash the Seer before the smoke cleared.

Both Sandman and Snake grappled up to opposite sides of the high walkway. Snake hid in his box and crawled around close enough for the Seer to see. The spirit curiously approached, the Arrancar following, but Sandman was able to sneak up and Stealth KO the guard while the Seer was focused. Afterwards, Nolan quickly smashed the orbed Hollow. With all the guards defeated, the men proceeded up to the office.

With a smirk, Ocelot caught the Lost Voice in a briefcase and rode an elevator platform downward. Since the barrier into the office disabled, the men entered, having to wait for the elevator to return. Once it did, they boarded and flew down the shaft. They landed inside a wide room with three rows of five pillars, where Ocelot awaited them, twirling his revolvers.

"Apologies, Snake, but I don't want your new friend to spoil our reunion. If you want this Voice, then come fight mano a mano."

"We don't have to play your games!" Sandman stated.

"Oh, DON'T you?" The pillars opened to reveal guns loaded within. "My Zanpakutō, Guns of the Patriots, lets me control any gun or projectile device. I want a fair fight, so only Snake is allowed in here. Just wait on the elevator like a good boy~"

"Hmph…I got this one, Sandman. Just keep watch in case he tries something." Snake requested, his Heaven Gun ready.

"If you say so…" Sandman replied with concern.

"Now then," Ocelot began to juggle his guns once more, "we," he threw on roller-blades and flew around the room, performing various poses and keeping his guns spinning, "prepare to," he kicked the rollers off and planted his guns to the floor, spinning his own body while the guns remained stationary. With that, he landed back on his feet and declared, "DRAW!" (Play "Duel" from _Metal Gear_!)

_Boss fight: Revolver Ocelot_

Using Flash Steps, Ocelot zipped behind a pillar, so Snake zipped behind an opposite pillar. With matching speed, they jumped between multiple pillars, before Snake remained hidden behind one. Ocelot saw him stop, so he slipped out to shoot a gun, the bullet bouncing off the wall and toward Snake, but the soldier had escaped and was able to land a shot on Ocelot. The villain retreated behind the pillars, Flashing his way to Snake in attempt of a direct attack, but the soldier maneuvered away from him. Ocelot evaded Snake's gunshots as he kept pursuit, soon making contact with Snake directly.

The two exchanged fists laden with Haki (along with black arms, Spirit Haki produced white flames). Ocelot got Snake's jaw, but the former was hit in the stomach. Ocelot grabbed Snake's arm and tried to twist it, but Snake lifted and slammed Ocelot into a pillar. Ocelot pulled Snake down with him, swiping a couple guns from Snake's pouch and taking them apart, afterwards Flashing behind the pillars again. Snake collected the pieces and dodged Ocelot's shots as he repaired a gun. Whenever Snake tried to shoot, Ocelot reacted quicker in evading. Snake took note of the pillar Ocelot hid behind and was able to shoot a bullet against the wall, bouncing into Ocelot.

"It's time I cover all corners." Ocelot remarked as he willed his other gun to fly to Snake's side. Snake dodged the floating gun, but Ocelot still tried to shoot him from the other side. Nolan would've called this cheating, but then again, Ocelot could've controlled Snake's guns just the same. Snake waited for the floating gun to come around the corner before jumping to grab it, taking it apart. Ocelot got behind Snake and shot, but he dodged and returned fire, Ocelot retreating behind the pillars. By the looks of things, Ocelot's power didn't work on broken weapons. Snake stayed near the revolver, but watched as four more flew into the air.

Using his reserve guns, Ocelot covered all corners and shot at Snake wherever he tried to hide. Snake decided to chase him, but Ocelot Flashed away from him. Snake saw him making his way to the broken gun, so he shot a bullet that ricocheted and struck him. Snake approached from the left and suspected Ocelot would go right, so he shot a missile that direction, prompting Ocelot to dodge back. Snake was able to get behind and swipe Ocelot's other gun, taking it apart just the same. This caused the floating guns to drop to the floor. With his Zanpakutō disabled, Ocelot engaged Snake in another fist fight, Flashing behind pillars in attempt to ambush the other. However, when Ocelot flew up to him, Snake pulled his gun and landed a shot to Ocelot's stomach. (End song.)

"UAHH!" Ocelot hacked energy and fell on his back. "Augh…so, you've still got it, Snake. Impressive…"

"Is your little game finished?" Sandman asked, marching up and taking the briefcase. "Because if so, we'll be taking the Voice."

"Go ahead… Skull Face will get it back eventually. And if the dominant languages continue to exist, the Mortal World will be plagued by his parasites. You'll have to open the Tower of Babel eventually!"

Snake stomped Ocelot's face and KO'ed him. "Should we take him with us and lock him up?"

"I'm not sure that's a good idea. He might learn about Maria if he wakes up, and if the Divine Angels find out one of Skull Face's lackeys is in their prison…"

"Didn't we already give ourselves away by fighting him?"

"You're probably right… regardless, the Angels could find their way down here any second. We need to start making our escape. Let's signal Maria."

Maria had rode her carriage far from the battle site. A black butterfly landed on her ear and made a ringing sound. Maria gasped and looked knowingly. The witch opened the garage of her dollhouse and cast a spell, warping the tiny Soulmobile onto the ground. The Soulmobile grew wings and took off, following Sandman's remote control.

The vehicle drove off the edge of the Abyss of Lingering Regrets and grew wings. Sandman and Snake had snuck back to the sewer pipe and dropped out, diving into the abyss. The Soulmobile was there to catch them, and they stayed under the foggy chasm as they flew away from the base.

They found Maria's carriage parked in the woods. At the speed the Soulmobile was driving, it could've easily rammed and destroyed the carriage, but in a flash, the car shrank to return to the garage. Maria met the adults inside the dollhouse. "Did you find the Voice, uu-uu?"

Sandman opened Ocelot's briefcase. Inside was an orange orb with a note inside and song sheet wrapped around it. The orb was singing a quiet chorus in a language neither of them recognized. "I feel a strong power from it… It must be the Lost Voice, uuu."

"So, we're just going to keep it here?" Snake asked.

"For the time being. This is the best place we can keep watch on it."

"Yaaaaawn… Maria is sleepy from such a long day." The child rubbed her weary eyes. "Let's find a safe place where we can rest." She returned outside.

"So, as far as we know, the other Voices are safe in their sanctuaries, correct?" Snake asked. "Then is our priority now to find Skull Face?"

"Before long, Skull Face will have found the other Voices." Sandman suspected. "I think we should attempt to secure them all, before he has a chance to steal them."

"So, you wanna try and steal them first?" Snake asked. "Hmmm…Sandman, what's your motive, anyway?"

"I want to keep the Voices safe from Skull Face and I don't trust the Divine Angels to handle it. They already lost this one."

"But having all the Voices together isn't really keeping them safe. It just makes them easier to find."

"Skull Face will get desperate and show himself. When that happens, we'll have him captured. I'll force him to disable his parasites."

"Hmmm…" Snake glared at him with suspicion.

"You should probably go to sleep too, Snake."

"You go ahead. I can stay awake for a long time."

"Really? So can I."

"In that case, let's have a slumber party."

"We'll set a bad example for the kid."

"She's a grown-up, she knows better."

"Hmhm…" Sandman sported a smile. "Well, might as well get the drinks."

Nolan entered the kitchen and put his hand to the refrigerator, about to open it… "Hmm…" He became lost in thought in the process. "Could the Tower of Babel really stop the parasites…?" He shook his head. "Why am I thinking about this?"

…

Back in Ocelot's base, after waking up, the gunslinger calmly made his way to the outside. "That must have been the man Skull Face called me about. It seems his parasites really have taken effect."

"FREEZE!" A squad of Angels were raising golden cannons and guns to him. "Put your hands in the air! You're under arrest for suspicion of conspiring with Skull Face!"

"And what are YOU going to do about it?!" Ocelot raised both hands, which were in gun shapes.

The guns and cannons redirected against the Angels and began blasting them, causing mayhem and confusion amongst them. Another swarm of Hollows flew in to feast on the confused army. "I'll be taking my leave now." Ocelot twirled both repaired revolvers, using them as propellers to fly to the sky. "Well then, Snake… you'd best keep an eye on that one."

**Planet Mira; Gormott**

The northern hemisphere of Mira was covered entirely by a sea of clouds. From these clouds were born the Alrest Titans, tremendous creatures that reached continental size and developed life. The Titans, like benders, were blessed by the gods with elements, so Titans were born with different topographical features. These Titans would produce blue gems called Core Crystals, which were designed to bond with worthy mortals and conjure a being known as a Xenoblade. A Blade would fight alongside their master and lend them power; for this reason, very few on this planet were given element bending, as they could awaken a Blade for such power.

"Those are the basics for this part of the planet." Dimentia said to Leic after they had landed in a forest. "This particular Titan we're on is Gormott. By the looks of things, it was given Plant Chi, so it's abundant with forests and grasslands."

"So, if people aren't born with bending, they can just get one of these Blade thingies?" Leic asked, enjoying the feel of the grass on his soles.

"No, the catch is that only natives to this planet can use Blades. And even then, not everyone is worthy of having one. It's basically 'random chance element bending.' Honestly, it sounds kind of annoying. It's like those card games where people buy a bunch of packs, hoping for a rare card."

"Does that mean there are super rare Blades?!" Leic exclaimed, fists balled and eyes bright. "I bet it would be super fun to finally find one! I sure wish I could use Blades!"

"He's one to look at the bright side, isn't he?" Plex commented, the chibi man looking away. "?! Dimentia, look!"

Dimentia turned with a gasp, and when Leic looked as well, they were being approached by a horde of Skelo-Bunnits. Bunnits were rabbit-like creatures native to the planet, with large tails to hold weapons, but these walking corpses possessed a deathly white aura and glowing eyes. "This chi… There's something otherworldly about their chi."

"I would say they fall into our legal boundaries." Plex said.

"Leic, get ready to battle!"

"Aye-aye, Captain! Whoops, hehe, keep thinking we're still fighting pirates!" Leic blushed. (Play "Gormott Day" from _Xenoblade 2_!)

_Stage D-1: Gormott_

_Mission: Find the source of these strange creatures!_

The Bunnits extended their skeletal tails to whip the duo from afar. Dimentia grabbed one's tail, whirled, and smashed it into another, and when two Bunnits charged her directly, she shot them with Space Arrows. One Bunnit dodged and leapt to bite her fist, but she slammed it to the ground and kicked it away. Leic released a swarm of butterflies from his sword to confuse the creatures, and enough stabs were able to change the spirits into butterflies as well. With the Bunnits dealt with, they hurried into the forest. Dimentia could sense the giant, skeletal toads lurking under the marshes, so she shot arrows to scare them out of hiding.

One of the Skelo-Brogs caught Leic on its tongue and pulled him into the corpse. The Brog began giggling with all the butterflies in its tummy, and was doomed to become one itself. Meanwhile, Dimentia defended from the second one's ramming jumps and dispersed it after enough shots. Reaching the larger swamp, Dimentia sensed one more Brog behind the large tree in the center, so she launched an arrow straight through the tree to destroy the living corpse. "Leic, let's go up there." Dimentia focused gravity onto the tree and pulled them onto it.

"Woooow! Walking up a tree is much more refreshing than flying!" Leic laughed, racing up ahead of Dimentia and winding around the trunk. Skelo-Gogols (gorillas) bellowed and blew down boulders made of their chi. Leic protected Dimentia by turning the boulders into butterflies (butter-fying), leaving the woman to shoot the apes in the heads. They made it onto the upper branches as Leic skipped upside-down along the underside of a branch. Dimentia took the right-side-up path, and skeletal eagles were swooping up or down from either direction, meaning the two were in charge of defending their side of the branch.

The end of the branch aimed at a ledge on the canyon wall, but a huge gap separated them from it. Dimentia pulled Leic up and carried him as she gave a running start, building up terrific speed to make the grand leap to the cliff. Leic cheered for joy as they flew and landed, but they happened upon a nest of three Skelo-Pippito. The Pippito were small and resembled ferrets, but their speed was insane as neither Dimentia nor Leic were able to hit them.

Instead, Dimentia launched some arrows around to form a circle, sealing them all inside a barrier. She ordered Leic to get down and curl up, and afterwards, she willed Space Lightning to completely fill up that barrier. The lightning touched everywhere except where Leic was; two of the Pippito were destroyed, but one tried to stay safe in Leic's zone. With an innocent smile, Leic kicked the creature into the shock zone. Dimentia disabled the Nega-Zone as they followed a path between a canyon.

There were bone-made watchtowers and fences being manned by Skelo-Tirkin (birdlike creatures). The tower Tirkin launched Bone Arrows, and land Tirkin were charging directly. Leic used Thief Style to nimbly evade their shots and slash the Tirkin until they butter-fied, while Dimentia shot the tower Tirkin from afar. Once all the birds were fallen, they continued through the canyon. They reached a slightly open area with some trees and bushes… and saw an impish figure in a black hood with bone designs on it.

"What… is that?!" Her bow ready, Dimentia marched up to the creature. "YOU! Are you the one creating all these-" When the creature turned, it was revealed to be Roger the Alien, his garb gray and black. "…things?"

"WHOA, settle down there, Katniss!" Roger remarked. "My name is Vyander Stringeater, a mysterious drifter who sells Halloween costumes made from demon fur."

"We almost thought you were one of the monsters!"

"Actually, I modeled this costume after this lady I ran into in the woods."

"A lady?! Where is she now?!"

"Beats me." Roger shrugged. "But I would stay away from her, she looks like some kind of addict. Heh, she tried to suck on me like some vampire, and I…heh, let's just say my body didn't agree to that."

Sharing a worried glance with Leic, Dimentia bypassed Roger, crossing another canyon that ended at a ledge overlooking the Cloud Sea. To their left, beyond the cliffside, was the vast grassland of Gormott Plains.

The two had already seen this while Descending onto the planet, but Gormott resembled a gargantuan giraffe with long horns on its head. As they Grav-Walked along the cliffside, Dimentia and Leic were attacked by Skelo-Quadwings, which resembled four-winged owls. Once they were in range of the corner of the field, Dimentia held onto Leic and made the running leap, falling the great distance, the wind brushing them powerfully, until the rush of adrenaline abruptly stopped once they hit the ground.

There was a pack of skeletal lions pursuing a group of Gormotti children (the Gormotti were humanoid with cat ears, light clothing, and long nails). Dimentia stuck an arrow into the ground and quickly shot arrows at the kids to warp them beside her. Once safe out of the lions' grasp, the kids looked with surprise as the strange woman ran to battle the monsters. Dimentia pulled her bow apart into twin swords to clash with the lions' boney claws, slashing one's head off, then kicking another near Leic as he butter-fied it. Dimentia flipped above the third lion and stabbed its spine, but Leic soothed its pain with a butter-fy.

"Dimentia, I feel a strong presence at the top of Gormott's head." Plex pointed. "Let's head that way quickly!"

"You heard him, Leic! Er, I guess you didn't." The duo raced across the Gormott Plains, slashing down any Skelo-Bunnits that tried to ambush from the grass. A gigantic Skelo-Gogol shook the earth as it charged at them, whirling its bulbous fist to smash down on Dimentia. The woman raised both arms to keep the fist uplifted, while the Gogol tried to smash Leic with its other fist. Leic was swift in dodging it, racing up the beast's arm to shoot butterflies into its face. The beast sneezed from the tickly butterflies, but had accidentally released Dimentia from its fist, the woman slashing its foot off. She leapt above and impaled its back with arrows, and enough damage allowed Leic to butter-fy it.

The two raced down the hill to an oasis, slashing down Skelo-Brogs. "YOW!" Leic's foot was bit by a Skelo-Piranhax under the shallow water, and Dimentia quickly shot the beast off. She sensed more of the piranhas underwater and formed another arrow circle, and when the piranhas swam inside, she willed them to be crushed inside their own gravity. Once past the oasis, they Grav-Walked up another cliff to get onto the middle-back of Gormott, from which they could make the journey up the giraffe's neck.

Gormott's neck was segmented into layers of cliffs, each of which had its own grass field. One field was absolutely frolicking with Bunnits, but they were running from the monstrous Skelo-Bunnits. Dimentia made another Nega-Zone, wherein the skeletons would become detached from gravity, slicing half of them while Leic got the other half. Another field had Skelo-Arachnos (four-legged spiders) that shot solid bone-webs that could puncture their skin. Dimentia slashed down the webs as she ran to the giant spiders. Leic was able to distract them with butterflies, but their cravings would go unfulfilled by the time his partner was finished with them.

When they were near the head, the duo came face-to-face with a Skelo-Sauros, a spike-backed dinosaur. The dinosaur endured Dimentia's arrows as it charged forward, gnashing fast enough to catch the Inviere in its teeth. It bit and swung her viciously, but she escaped by throwing an arrow to the ground, then sticking herself with another to warp to the first arrow. She ran away to recollect herself, while Leic was making a giant butterfly. The creature sprayed a yellow powder to soften the spirit's being, letting Dimentia land some strong, rapid slashes with the twin blades. The beast spun and whacked her away with its tail, but Leic would stab its tail and turn it into butterflies. Leic jumped off and ran from the dino, giving Dimentia a view of its rear as she shot an arrow into the empty tail hole. Her arrow burst and destroyed the corpse from the inside.

The duo Grav-Walked up one more cliff and made it onto the Titan's head. They raced up the slope, seeing the source of the dark energy. (End song.)

The culprit was a gray-skinned woman with black and gray clothes with bone designs, a slick black cape with tears, and she had white hair with black stripes. She held Core Crystals in her skeletal hands as she bit and crunched them like bulky cookies. Lain on the ground before her was a Blade, with white mechanical armor and leggings, long pastel-blue hair, but otherwise peach skin.

"STOP what you're doing!" The woman slowly turned toward Dimentia and Leic, her dark eyes showing no emotion. Dimentia's bow was pulled, and Leic bore an adorably fearless expression with his sword raised. "You're the Daemonis, aren't you?!"

"I've never seen this one before." Plex said. "In fact, it doesn't really feel like a proper Daemonis… its body feels fabricated, but its soul…"

"This is a bother." the woman spoke solemnly. The unconscious Blade cracked open her magenta eyes, silently listening. "I thought I could finish this meal before you arrived. Seems that most of the Styles I sent out to distract you were already destroyed by those bothersome kids."

"You mean KND operatives?" Leic asked.

"At least these Blades made a decent snack. Still, I don't really like fighting all of you."

It was then Dimentia realized a small group was journeying up the Titan's head from the left. "…Just what are you, anyway?!"

"I'm Sylistys. That's all I could tell you, really. You look like the one my masters warned me about."

"Your masters? …So, you ARE with the Daemonis!"

"They built me as a way to 'counteract' you. I wonder… just what it is we share, 'Dimentia'? I hope you find me again, so I might learn more."

"Find you…?" Before Dimentia could question her, Sylistys seemed to pull a small marble from her pocket, dropping it on the ground as she poofed in an instant. "HEY! Where did she go?!"

"Her presence on this planet has disappeared…" Plex replied.

"Haha, I've seen that magic trick before!" Leic laughed. "There must be a trapdoor!"

"HEY! YOU THERE!"

The group that Dimentia just sensed had just arrived. One of them was a boy named Rex, with golden eyes and blue salvager's outfit; he wielded an energy sword connected to his Blade, Pyra, who had red hair and armor; there was Nia, a Gormotti girl with silver hair and a yellow suit, and her Blade was Ursula, a little girl with an icy-blue dress that matched her fluffy hair, faded feet, and riding her pet polar bear, Beary.

"So, you're the one that kidnapped KOS-MOS and took all those Core Crystals!" Rex yelled.

"You better not have hurt her!" Nia yelled in a Welsh accent. "Do you know how long it took us to find a Blade that rare?!"

"Is that why you care about her?" Ursula asked.

"Er, and she is a very dear friend to us!"

"Rex, I can sense God Chi inside that woman!" Pyra cautioned.

"Should we just go all out then?"

"Yeah, good idea." Pyra glowed a bright green and began to transform. (Play "Battle Theme" from _Xenoblade 2_!)

"Wait, this is a misunderstanding!" Dimentia tried to reason. "The one who attacked her was-"

"Dimentia, you might wanna run." Plex said in worry.

Pyra had transformed into Pneuma, her hair turning green and growing into a ponytail, complete with white and green sci-fi armor. Rex had donned similar armor as well. With a panicked expression, Dimentia whipped her blades to defend from a swarm of green energy swords conjured by the powerful Blade. Rex and Pneuma both grasped their extended sword and clashed with Dimentia, their speed frightening and strength deadly.

"Oh, neat, a god-fighting weapon! I'll go now." Dimentia grabbed Leic and zipped away like a Road Runner.

Dimentia leapt down the first cliff of Gormott's neck, crossed the field, then leapt down the second one—Rex and Pneuma caught up to them with surprising speed, but Dimentia dodged their mighty slash by making gravity pull her toward the cliff. The couple flew to stab the cliff, so Dimentia ran to the side of Gormott's neck. Suddenly, Beary dropped and grasped onto Dimentia, while Ursula swung around her companion and blew a Song Beam into Dimentia's face. She endured the musicbending attack and used the Arrow Warp to get the Blade off, but barely had time to dodge Pneuma's Starburst (not to be mistaken for the spacebending move, as Pneuma's Starburst is a green laser).

Dimentia dashed down the neck with full speed, but Pneuma kept up with lightspeed. Dimentia suffered cuts from her Radiant Flare, but was able to block some attacks. Dimentia launched an arrow across Gormott's back, jabbed Leic with another arrow to warp him, then warped herself. "Leic, hurry up and Ascend us!"

"Haha, got ya!" Leic climbed on her shoulders, quickly but calmly focused his chi, and uplifted them both in a ray of light.

Rex and Pneuma searched around the area, but having lost sight of the stranger, Rex cursed, "Dang it! She got away!"

"Was that woman some kind of alien?" Pyra asked after reverting back to normal.

"Rex, we were able to heal KOS-MOS!" Nia called, she and Ursula catching up, along with the armored Blade that had been KO'ed. KOS-MOS had magenta eyes that showed little emotion.

"Where did that scary lady go?" Ursula asked. "And who was the small boy that was with her?"

"You are mistaken. That woman was not the culprit." KOS-MOS said in a soft, robotic voice.

"She wasn't the culprit?" Rex asked.

"I had woken up while they were talking. The person who kidnapped me, and that woman were two different individuals."

"Oh, no… Did we attack an innocent person?" Ursula asked guiltily.

"Then, I wonder who they were?…" Rex thought aloud. (End song.)

Dimentia and Leic had returned to the Spirit World to catch their breath. "Huff…well, then… wasn't prepared for that…" Dimentia panted.

"Hee hee, that was as exciting as some of our team's getaways!" Leic laughed, his hair ruffled.

"Well, misunderstanding aside, it seems 'Sylistys' has escaped." Plex said. "Let's resume tracing her whereabouts immediately. She may choose to attack another planet."

"Yeah, we can't rest for a minute." Dimentia agreed, closing her eyes and searching for the strange being's signature.

* * *

**Ocelot comes from _Metal Gear_ as well, and we just met _Xenoblade_ crossovers! Sylistys was made by Sarstar98.**


	5. The Phantom Thief

**Spirit World dictionary:**

**Zanpakutō: A sword or other weapon that all spirits can materialize from their being. By learning a Zanpakutō's name, they can use a special ability. With further training, the Zanpakutō's spirit will take form and assist their master.**

**Hollows: When a spirit is burdened by their regrets or corrupted by Dark Chi, they become a dark spirit known as a Hollow. They will attack other spirits or even mortals, but their weak wills make them submissive to stronger people. Hollows are defined by black-colored bodies, holes in their chests, and skull masks, but can take many forms.**

**Arrancar: A Hollow that was able to fight against its own corruption and rip off its skull mask. As a result, they reassume their true form, but have a notable aura of darkness. **

**Paradiso: Angelic spirits who are naturally formed from the positive feelings of the universe. They serve the Divine Angels. Like the Hollows, they come in many forms, but they typically possess marble skin, gold and ivory armor, and halos. (See the _Bayonetta_ wiki for specific types.)**

**P.S. Who remembered my birthday on March 11? :3**

* * *

**_Chapter 5: The Phantom Thief_**

**Night Light Village**

Night Light Village was built on a series of flat-topped hills, which sort of looked like tables covered by blue blankets. Each of these hills had giant lamps which glowed with a soft white light. This was a popular place for child spirits to come and fall asleep in hope of pleasant dreams. Maria's carriage was currently parked in the corner of some hills, the child lying on a mat on the carriage floor.

Snake looked over the slumbering girl from the dollhouse, her snores quiet and filled with bliss. The soldier turned to Sandman, sitting at the table with a laptop. "Sandman, how old did you say she was again?"

"Biologically, nine. But she was born in 1977, March 10."

"That arrogant little brat! I was born in '72! I'll have to give her a talking to about respecting her elders."

"Relax, Snake, children always joke about being bigger than their big brothers."

"Don't remind me…" Snake sighed, looking down at the witch once more. "Still, it wouldn't be my first time working with a kid. We had a prodigy computer expert back in GUN. Her name was Sunny."

"We share a lot of tastes, Snake. One of my sidekicks was a computer prodigy; name was Carol."

"I doubt she was anything like Sunny." Snake went to the candy bowl and got a marshmallow pumpkin, chewing it as he came to join Sandman. "It's still sad to think a kid like Maria had to die, yet she's still serving the KND. I guess she died too early to be hardened by war. Sleeping with a peaceful face, like there's nothing wrong with the world…"

"Maria was never a KND operative in life. When I asked her, she said her entire family was uplifted to the 'Golden Land' by a legendary witch. But according to Kid, the family actually died in some kind of freak explosion. Her family is actually staying in a dollhouse at the treehouse, but I've never really met them. I wonder if they accepted their own deaths as well as Maria."

"Well, that's not the face of a kid who grew up with abuse." Snake said, eating another piece of the marshmallow. He glanced at Sandman's laptop and asked, "So, what are you looking at?"

"The Dream Realm. Each mortal has their own personal dreamscape. They can't leave it or cross into other dreamscapes unless they're a Bubble Dreamer or if a Dream Spirit helps them. However, if a mortal dies, their dreamscape will disappear and become a new region in the Spirit World, after which it's free for anyone to explore or even reap of its resources. It wouldn't matter to the original owner because they have everything they love in their hotel room. However, only authority spirits, like the Angels, are allowed to enter the Dream Realm, and only for important reasons, like if an evil spirit had already broken in."

"I doubt they would let you come in, in that case."

"However… if a living person had a dream of someone who was dead, and the dead person's spirit were to be 'asleep' at the same time, then that spirit will appear in the person's dreamscape. The price is that the spirit can't interact with the mortal; they can only watch as they talk to the illusion."

"The gods sure love their cruel pranks, huh?"

"Yeah, and what's more, the spirit would be unable to leave the dreamscape, anyway, unless a Bubble Dreamer were conveniently around. But even if they were, I would be sucked right back into the Spirit World as soon as the mortal woke up. There's just too many complicated, unreliable variables, and this thing still doesn't tell me where the Lost Voice is…" Sandman put a hand to his forehead in agony.

"But Skull Face would have to know a way in there if he plans to steal these things."

"Yeah, he probably has some special connections for all we know. You know, I actually know a Bubble Dreamer named Madotsuki. She could help in this situation, but we can't rely on her to just dream about me."

Snake looked to the window, listening to Maria's snores. "Why do spirits need to sleep if we can't even dream?"

"But we do dream." Sandman corrected. "We dream of our living friends and relatives. I was told that, whenever we sleep, we see what they're doing, whether they're sleeping or if Dillon's up late playing games. Of course, that's only if they're not dreaming of us. Doesn't that happen to you?"

"Sigh…yes. But it's kind of annoying that we don't even have the freedom to dream what we want. That's another reason I don't like to sleep. Why can't we be detached from our mortal tethers like we were promised?"

"Yaaaaaawwwwwn!" A great, echoing yawn filled the dollhouse, and they could see Maria's colossal figure rise outside like a waking mountain, her arms stretching. "Maria is thirsty, uuuu… She needs a glass of milk." She weakly waved her scepter and warped into the dollhouse. The adults saw her enter the kitchen and get a milk from the refrigerator, sipping it calmly.

"Milk…hmmm…" A thought formed in Sandman's mind. "I wonder… do the gods have dreams?"

"Yaaaawn…huh, York-san?" Maria faced him with half-closed eyes. "Do gods have dreams… Tee hee hee hee!" She sported a spritely grin. "I asked myself that one time… and the answer was, of course they do. After all, we're living in the gods' dream right now. Everyone that has ever existed was only born because the gods dreamed we would be born."

"That's nice, but I was thinking of Darkrai. He and I were well-acquainted, and last I checked, he was in a very deep sleep. But would he be dreaming about me? _Could_ he dream?"

"If you believe in him, York-san, and keep him inside your heart, then Darkrai-sama will feel you and dream of you. If you want, Maria will help you go to sleep."

"Hmm…yes…" Sandman walked up to a bedroom, discarding some of his heavy clothes as he lay on the bed. Maria sprinkled dust over his eyes from her scepter, and as Nolan fell into slumber, he envisioned Darkrai in his mind. He remembered helping Darkrai defeat Dracula and save Nightmare Land, of helping him defeat Affright and destroying Horror's Hand… Would Darkrai be grateful enough to dream of Nolan?

…

…

…

…

…

Nolan found himself adrift on a black sea with stars glittering the surface, the purple sky decorated with dark Ztars and only a sliver of a moon. Nolan saw the being in question, the one who created this realm: Darkrai twisted the thin, white flame that was his head and faced him. "It's a pleasure to have you here… Nolan."

Darkrai turned his full body, revealing the black, impish child in his arms. Marshadow's innocent red eyes gazed at Nolan with curiosity. The child jumped out of his brother's arms, his little feet splashing the sea as he toddled across the surface to Nolan. He stopped a few feet before Nolan. "You're my brother's friend, huh? But you're the one that hurt Affright…"

"You and Affright tried to destroy the world. You had to be stopped."

"Well…it's okay. Thanks to you, I got outta that hand, and… now my brother likes me."

"We have spent so long creating Nightmares…" Darkrai said, floating up and lifting his brother, "but now we, Dream Spirits in our own right, exist in Sleep. Our very beings warped inside-out."

Marshadow waved his little arms, summoning werewolves with jellyfish eyes, bats that leaked blood as they flew, giant spiders with dead mailmen on their legs, and many kinds of disgusting Nightmares. Then, before Nolan's eyes, the werewolves transformed, now little pups riding on the cushy tops of friendly jellyfish; the bats carried bottles of milk that dripped to grow cute cows; the mailmen were simply riding the spiders like harmless cars. The purple sky became indigo and the Ztars turned a soft white.

"Being inside Madotsuki's Sleep Bubble is inverting our nightmarish chi, allowing us to become one with good dreams and not just bad. Perhaps, in time, Marshadow will be able to control his chi in the Waking World."

A baby cow walked up to Nolan and lightly bumped his leg. He looked up at Marshadow, whose stare was ever curious. "…Darkrai, is there a way to get out into the Dream World? I'm searching for something called a Lost Voice."

"Yes, we were just dreaming about you. An illusion of you was running to the Voice's stronghold."

"An illusion? Right, that's why I was able to come here… Wait, but how can you see me?"

"We're the Nightmare Kings, of course we can see other spirits. As for the Lost Voice… you must remember, Nolan, that if a Dream Spirit is trapped in a Sleep Bubble, they are cut off from the Dream World until the bubble pops."

"But Madotsuki made her Sleep Bubble in the Mortal World, it's not a proper bubble, is it? You're asleep in the Waking World."

"That may be, but regardless, the rules are different for me. I am a being that exists in both Waking and Dreaming, and it is only when I'm locked in a deep sleep that this dreamscape, my Lost World, is open. There are two ways you can enter this place: either by using the Great Protoon, or by dreaming of me and vice-versa. So, that is why, eons ago, did Meloetta hide the Lost Voice in my dream."

Miles away, the sea began to sink into a crater and spread open. It seemed that a city was rising, all the buildings in the shapes of clock towers, grandfather clocks, or others. "You'll find the Lost Voice in there. However, I should warn you that you are not the only visitor. A horde of angelic creatures have infiltrated my dreamscape using the Protoon. They are Paradisos, creatures who serve the Divine Angels."

"So, they made it here as well…"

"I don't know what errand compels you to get it, but I trust it's important. Good luck, Nolan…"

Nolan passed him a nod before hurrying to the city. Once at the edge of the sea crater, he jumped and descended to the city with his glider. (Play "Whims of Fate" from _Persona 5_!)

_Stage 2: Sanctuary of Lost Time_

_Mission: Locate the Lost Voice._

Sandman landed at the edge of town, seeing the square filled with Divine Loyalists wielding spears. Not wanting a confrontation just yet, he grappled up to the roof of a grandfather clock building. Already, two Affinities were awaiting him, Angels that wielded spears with circular, spiked headpieces. The Affinities whirled their spears and lashed at Sandman, the hero defending with his sword and using Thrust to knock one off-balance. He slid behind the creature and stabbed its back, landing punches to the head, then swiped its weapon to clash with the other Affinity. When his spear blocked the other's spear, he threw his sword into it, then leapt to grab the Angel's head and slam its body into the other. Both were KO'ed as Sandman glided further into town.

He noticed residents roaming about the town, resembling clock people with eyes, mouths, and little arms and legs. Nolan wondered if these creatures were natural Dream Spirits, or if they resembled the tribe that offered their language to Meloetta. The center of town appeared to have a massive building that resembled the Great Clock, except much more miniature. There were various guards around the entrance to the building, but by grappling to the top of a clock tower building, he was able to glide close to a balcony on the fortress, his grapple hook just within range to latch the balcony.

As he expected, there were Loyalist Angels patrolling the balcony. Sandman clambered along the edge, but he was nearing a Loyalist that was looking down, but would passively gaze up every once in a while. Sandman used one of these moments to sneak past. He made it to a staircase guarded by a Loyalist, but since no one else was looking, he was able to swiftly grab and pull him down, doing a Stealth KO and letting him hang by a rope. Sandman climbed up and crept up the stairs, staying against the wall as he approached two guards at the next staircase. He was barely out of one's peripheral vision, slipping behind and Stealth-KOing him, then repeating the process for the following one.

The stairs led up to another open area with more guards. Sandman was about to plan his strategy, but the Angels received an alert. _"A thief has broken into the altar! He's making off with the Voice!"_

"Let's cut him off at this entrance!" The Angels rushed toward the stairs across the balcony.

Sandman snuck up onto the balcony, which had a glass floor. "Huh?" When Sandman faced down, he saw a figure in black clothes running through a passage, pursued by Angels. Sandman followed him to the balcony's edge, watching as the figure would dive out of a window, doing a graceful twirl in the air.

The figure was a young man with unkempt black hair and dark-gray eyes behind a black-and-white birdlike domino mask. He wore a black ankle-length tailcoat, a high-necked waistcoat with gold accents, and red gloves. When he faced up at Nolan during his twirl, he flashed a twinkly grin. The boy opened his tailcoat like a glider and took flight.

"Does that guy work for Skull Face?!" This was Nolan's first assumption as he jumped and glided after the stranger, no longer caring if the Angels saw him. The boy saw Sandman coming and cast spirit flames from his sword, Nolan diving lower to evade. The boy curved leftward, Sandman following, but before the hero could grab him, the thief halted and stomped Sandman's head, forcing him downward before escaping rightward.

Sandman stopped his fall and kept gliding in the thief's direction. The boy landed on a roof and jumped down. Sandman landed and jumped across the roofs, and he sensed combat taking place around some buildings. Sandman found the youth battling two Loyalists: both jabbed their spears, but the youth planted his hands to either one and kicked their owners' heads. When both were down, the thief leapt on one and stomped his face, KOing him; the other Angel tried to retaliate, but the boy summoned a spirit being from his sword to burn the Angel with fire.

The spirit had large black wings, red arms and legs, and a thin, tall top-hat over its long-horned mask. The spirit returned to the sword as Sandman dropped down and yelled, "FREEZE! Hand over the Lost Voice, kid!"

The boy back-flipped and tried to kick Sandman's head, but he blocked with his wrist and used the other hand to grab the thief's boot. He slammed him to the ground, but the thief pressed his hand to the ground, escaped Nolan's grasp, and flipped up. He then kicked against the wall and headbutted Nolan into the opposite wall. "Dammit! Who are you, anyway?!"

"The Phantom. See ya." He made a salute with his gloved hand before throwing a grenade down, vanishing in red smoke.

Nolan whipped his arm through the smoke, but the Phantom was already gone. He grappled to a roof and saw him jumping across other roofs. Sandman used the Line Launcher to catch up, and the boy barely saw him in time before ducking left and jumping off the roof. Sandman glided after, but the Phantom dropped another smoke grenade. Sandman halted in midair and saw him Flash Step to the upper-left, so he landed and attempted to Line Launch once more. The Phantom ran right, but Sandman quickly redirected the Line Launch and tackled the boy, causing him to drop a briefcase as it slid across the ground.

"I've got it!" An Angel landed and seized the briefcase, opening it. "The Voice is in here! I'll return it to the altar; Beloved, you crush these heathens!" He took flight, and to replace him was a giant Paradiso with a massive axe in its right hand, clawed hands and toes, and sun design collar.

The boy kicked Sandman off and drew his sword. "Wait, are you not with them?" The Phantom asked.

"No, I need the Lost Voices to stop Skull Face!"

"Skull Face? Are you his enemy?"

"What's it to you?"

However, the Beloved slammed its axe down and separated the two. "Perhaps we could talk after we deal with this beast." With that, they ran to opposite sides, the Beloved focusing on Nolan. He latched his grapple hook to its head and flew up to grab it, punching the beast furiously. Beloved grabbed Nolan in its left hand and squeezed, but the Phantom leapt to stab the arm, freeing Nolan. Phantom jumped off and dodged an axe slam, then leapt on the axe and ran up the arm for some swift face slashes. Nolan shot Pale Lightning at the stomach, and the Phantom jumped and forced its head into the ground. The boy hugged Beloved's face tightly, seemingly trying to tear it off, and to Nolan's surprise, it did. Beloved's body became energy and entered the severed face, which shrank into a mask form.

More Angels were charging at them. "This way, hurry!" Phantom yelled as he grappled up a roof, Nolan following. They jumped into an alleyway afterwards and ran around until they were certain the Angels were lost.

"Now, then… Who are you and how do you know Skull Face?"

"For now, call me Joker." the masked boy replied. "Skull Face captured one of my friends, and he said he would only return her if we brought him the Voice of Lost Time in the Dream Realm."

_"Joker, what's going on? Did you get the Voice or not?"_ a voice asked in his earpiece.

"There's been a complication." Joker answered. "I'll get the Voice back, don't worry." He faced Sandman and explained, "That was Morgana. His Zanpakutō gives him the ability to enter peoples' dreamscapes, and he can bring friends along. Skull Face learned of that power, that's why he sought us out."

"Is he a Bubble Dreamer? But how could he have entered Darkrai's dream?"

"Unlike Bubble Dreamers, Morgana is required to input Keywords to specific dreamscapes in order to enter them. We were able to enter Darkrai's dream just the same. But why are you here?"

"I'm trying to keep the Lost Voices out of Skull Face's grasp. However, I…I need the Voices myself. I need to know if they can stop Skull Face's parasites."

Sandman explained the situation regarding the Vocal Parasites. "So, even if Skull Face is defeated, their voices might not return?" Joker asked. "That is an awful situation. But I need to…"

"Joker, maybe I can help rescue your friend. Do you know where they're being held?"

"We have a general idea, but my team is doing a more thorough investigation. I don't really know what these Voices are about, but regardless, it seems like you need it either way. 'Guess we'll have to steal it again."

"My bad…" Sandman scratched his head.

The two made their way back to the central building, using Flash Steps to zip from alley to alley without the Angels seeing. Sandman repeated his previous tactic of grappling atop a clock tower and reaching the balcony from there, with Joker to accompany him. The Angels on the balcony were on higher alert, but Sandman was able to yank one over with his hook and pull him off the ledge. The other Angels were alerted, so Sandman climbed up and threw punches at two of them, Thrusted away another, then flipped away before zapping one with Pale Lightning.

Joker climbed up further away, sneaking up behind a cautious Angel who was behind the others. Joker pounced and dealt a Stealth KO, ripping off his face in the process as it became a mask. Joker jumped two Angels and slammed them to the floor, confusing the others as he and Sandman fought back-to-back. Sandman chucked one into the air as Joker kicked him off the edge, and afterwards both spun together with their swords stretched. They slashed the surrounding angels, then leapt to deal forceful kicks to each one as they were KO'ed. One more Angel tried to stab Joker in the back, but the large spirit from before came out and KO'ed him with its black wings.

"What is that thing?" Sandman asked.

"That's the true form of my Zanpakutō, Arsene. With his power, I can change spirits into masks, and by putting them on, they will appear to fight for me for only a few seconds. Their spirits will be set free after one use, and I can only carry 20 masks at a time."

The two headed up the stairs to the wider balcony, now filled with Paradisos called Beliefs. Beliefs had a large face on their chests, with a smaller face on the forehead, and only a single, right arm that resembled a tentacle. Joker dashed up and put on the Beloved's mask, summoning the creature as it slashed a Belief. Beloved disappeared after a moment, then Joker lashed the Belief with his sword before it disappeared.

Sandman grabbed a Belief's tentacle and threw it into another, then leapt to puncture its face with his sword. He grappled atop the other Belief and lay rapid punches to the small face, jumping off afterward to knock it down with a Soul Beam. Joker summoned Arsene to wrestle with a Belief, setting the beast aflame in the process. Once destroyed, Joker ran to another, ducking its tentacle and slashing the ankles to make it trip. Joker leapt on its back and stabbed the tentacle, and as the beast struggled to push itself up, Joker grabbed hold of the smaller face and tore it off, making the Belief a mask.

With the Angels defeated, they hurried up the stairs to the entrance of a hallway. They sensed Angels up ahead, so they grappled up to a ceiling vent and crawled through. The vent let out on a post overlooking a massive room, with multiple stairs leading to different floors around the room. The floors were gold and walls were white. The Lost Voice, colored blue, was placed on an altar, and Angels were patrolling the room with guns. There were 10 in total, with two guarding the Voice.

"We can't let them see us. Pick them off one at a time." Sandman instructed.

"I got ya." Joker nodded, grappling to a different post. Sandman saw two guards under a corner post, so he swung above them. One of the Angels walked away, and Sandman made sure no others were looking before dropping down and KOing the one that remained. He grappled elsewhere while Joker took his spot, dropping down and pulling the body to hide it against a stairway corner. An Angel was coming down those stairs, but another was coming around the corner above the stairs. The upper Angel passed the stairs, and the previous turned right after leaving the stairs, Joker quickly KOing him.

Joker slipped into a vent, crawling around to a northern staircase. An Angel passed the top of that staircase, so he snuck up to KO him. He saw another walking toward the nearby corner, so he used quiet Flash Steps to make it over and KO him before he turned. Sandman got into a vent behind a post, crawling above the ceiling and finding an exit above a passing Angel. He dropped down to KO him. He then hid under a nearby ledge as another Angel was coming around a corner. That Angel saw their unconscious ally and ran to investigate, during which time Sandman climbed up and KO'ed him.

Sandman grappled up the vent and returned to the post. Two Angels were walking up the stairs to the middle walkway. Joker snuck up and got the first one, then Nolan glided down to catch the front one, KOing both. With that, both snuck around opposite sides of the altar and simultaneously caught the last two guards, KOing both. "There. Let's get out of here before any more show up." Joker suggested.

"I'll keep the Voice on me." Sandman insisted, taking the blue orb.

"If you insist." With the Voice secured, the two used a vent to sneak back to the entrance of the chamber. After exiting, they took flight off the building, landing in an alleyway in the hopes no Angels saw them. "This way." Joker led Sandman around a maze of buildings and said into his earpiece, "Morgana, I've got the Voice. Get ready to leave. Oh, and I've brought a guest."

_"Oh, goody. Who are we bringing along this time?"_

Sandman saw a black van pull up at the end of the alley. The door opened as the duo jumped in, and the van drove off. A red and black, swirling portal opened, sucking the van inside as it vanished. (End song.)

"So, Joker, who's this old guy?" a voice asked.

"What? Who said that?" Nolan looked around. "Who's driving this thing?!"

"I'm driving myself!" the car replied. "This is kind of a side-ability to my Zanpakutō. Name's Morgana!"

"He's basically a talking monster cat who invaded my dreams. That's how we met." Joker explained.

"I'm not a monster cat! I'm a Mobian from a town called Nyakuza Metro. Well, I used to be, but then I died. Stupid Empress."

"And before you get the wrong idea, I'm not actually dead." Joker followed. "Morgana found our dreamscapes and showed us a way to separate our souls from our bodies. We're known as the Phantom Thieves. We search for bullies and corrupt adults and use Morgana's abilities to infiltrate their dreamscapes. We search for treasures and artifacts inside those dreams that have been tainted with Dark Chi and proceed to steal them. When we do so, the people in question start to have a change of heart."

"I was reading about Phantom Thieves invading the Dream World… so, it was you."

"I'm sure what we're doing is illegal by Spirit World rules. But you seem like a trustworthy guy."

"Is this really the face of someone trustworthy?"

"Well, I guess you were stealing from the Nightmare King, so I guess not." Joker sported a smile.

"But now that we got the Voice," Morgana said, "maybe Skull Face will return Haru to us."

"We're not letting Skull Face take the Voice." Nolan stated. "I'll help you rescue your friend. We just need a plan."

"Let's see if the others were able to find Haru's location."

The van exited the portal into the Hall of Doors, the river in which all the dreams were connected. They exited the van as Morgana shrank back to normal. Nolan was surprised to find he was an impish, black-and-white cat Mobian with a yellow neckerchief and black utility belt. "You're a lot smaller than I expected you to be."

"Don't underestimate me!" Morgana said spritely, shaking a paw-fist.

"Makoto." Joker spoke into his earpiece. "Anything to report on Haru?"

_"Yes. We've determined the building where Haru was imprisoned. What's your plan, Joker? Have you gotten what he asked?"_

"Let's meet up by the Coffee Lake. I have a lot to go over." Joker hung up and turned to Nolan. "Sandman, do you know where the Coffee Lake is? Let's meet up there in about two hours. Our deal with Skull Face was supposed to transpire in a town called Silent Hill. That's where our friend is imprisoned."

**Gates of Heaven**

Dimentia had been sitting silently as she tried to search for Sylistys' signature. "That marble she used…" Plex began. "It looked like one of Pyronem's. Perhaps he lent her a few abilities. That was some sort of teleport."

"Yeah, and now she's using some sort of Chi Concealing. By the time we trace her, she'll probably have hurt a bunch of people. Sigh…and if we don't find her soon, I might not get to…"

"Hi, Dimentia! I got you a drink~"

Dimentia turned. Leic was holding a glass of chocolate milk in both hands, his smile sweet and innocent. "Oh…thanks, Leic." Dimentia took the drink and decided to have a sip.

"Chocolate milk is my favorite! Do you like it?"

In truth, Dimentia might have asked for something warmer like coffee. The clunky milk didn't really loosen the weight in her heart, but she didn't want to hurt Leic's feelings. "Yeah, it's delicious! But I'm not really that thirsty at the moment…sigh, I still can't trace that woman down. And even if we do find her, what if she runs away again? If she gets away too many times, the Angels will think I can't handle it…"

"Don't worry, Dimentia." Leic walked up and lightly petted her hair. "We'll stop that mean old lady. We just gotta stay positi-" His fingers bumped one of her head feathers.

"YAAH!" Dimentia dropped the milk and zipped behind a far tree out of shock.

"…?" Leic blinked confusedly, his hand still in a petting position.

". . . . Uhhhh…hehe." Dimentia flushed. "Don't touch my head feathers."

"That's it! You crossed the line now, you brat!" Plex began pounding and biting Leic's legs.

"Oh…Dimentia…" A big smile formed to compliment Leic's sparkling, adoring eyes. "Are you ticklish? ? ?"

"Uh…yeah! Sort of! My head feathers are just extremely sensitive, that's all…"

"Tee hee, don't worry, Dimentia! I'm sensitive, too! I even kinda feel an itch on my legs right now." Leic bent down to scratch his legs, knocking Plex away in the process.

"Graaah!" The chibi jumped up. "Dimentia, just tell this boy to go away!"

"Relax, Plex, he didn't mean it." Dimentia consoled, walking back over. "Sorry about your milk…"

"It's okay, I got more. …You're not mad, are you?"

"No, I was just a little startled. Just be careful next time, heh heh…! Oh!" Dimentia sensed a surge of energy. "I found her! Sylistys! She's on Historia! She must've just become active again!"

"See, I knew milk was the answer!" Leic cheered, leaping onto the woman's shoulders. "Then let's go save Historia!"

"HE'S NOT BEING CAREFUL AT ALL!" Plex bellowed.

"You better not tickle me, Leic." Dimentia told him with a smirk. "Or I'm gonna tickle you next time~"

"Haha, then let's put our faith in each other!" Leic swung his feet with glee.

"I am not ready for kids…" Plex sulked.

"Just take a breath and enjoy the ride, Plex." Dimentia picked the chibi up and threw him onto Leic's shoulders. The sweet-hearted angel focused and Descended them down to Historia.

* * *

**Joker and the Phantom Thieves come from _Persona 5_! …This also continues the theme where Sandman encounters people nicknamed Joker. Such as Doflamingo Sr. or Joker from Noah's Ark Circus. And Caesar Clown, who resembles Batman's Joker. But he's never met Batman's Joker. …Kids, don't touch a lady's Plumuxas.**


	6. Tradeoff at Silent Hill

**Time for another lengthy chapter with two stages!**

* * *

**_Chapter 6: Tradeoff at Silent Hill_**

**Historia; Stone Kingdom**

There were some worlds in the universe that strictly limit travel. These were usually "primitive" worlds, ones with limited technology. These worlds were thought to be close with nature and were to be respected as such, and unless these worlds were to somehow contact and accept an alliance with Galactic Council, they were left to naturally develop their worlds and their technology. The intergalactic government, meanwhile, would protect these worlds from invaders and manage travel operations.

Historia was unique in that sense in that it was composed of ancient Earth cultures. No technology was allowed here, but benders were still natural.

"And yet, crooks and supervillains somehow manage to find their way onto this planet and cause a mess." Dimentia remarked, she and Leic walking through a cave. "Still, I would hope we're exempt from the rule, provided we do our job."

"But I wonder why that Stylistic girl came here?" Leic asked. "Unless she really likes caves. …Ah!" A drop hit his nose. "That tickles!"

Dimentia stopped, facing forward. "Something's coming."

The cave sloped up and shifted leftward up ahead, but they could see something rolling: it was a green object with wide eyes. It was being chased by skeletal raptors. "Aaaahh!" To their surprise, the object—actually a melon—grew a human body and stumbled on their feet. They appeared to be a small nine-year-old, wearing a knotted rope necklace, a blue dress over their whole body (there were no holes for the arms, so the dress was suspended by the arms), and small stone platform sandals. "M-More weird monsters?!"

"Look out!" Dimentia drew her bow and shot two of the raptors while Leic stunned the last one with butterflies, finishing it off afterward.

The melon-headed child turned around with fright, but was relieved to see the monsters were gone. "Suika was almost eaten… Thank you for saving her." She bowed to the two.

"What are you doing down here? Is your home nearby?"

"Suika promised to bring Senku a diamond she found. She almost had it, but a strange, gray woman attacked her. She tried to eat Suika, but Suika barely escaped and lost her in the caves. Then a bunch of skeleton lizards tried to eat Suika."

"Sylistys." Dimentia knew. "She… tried to eat you?"

"That's bizarre." Plex said. "I don't feel any particular flow of chi in this girl. She's completely ordinary, no bending, no magic, anything."

"Who are strangers?"

"Oh…we're, um, angels." Dimentia thought it best to give a simple answer for the girl. "We're here to slay those monsters. You should run home; are there any strong people in your village?"

"But Suika promised to bring Senku a diamond. She wants to go back and get it."

"Whoever Senku is, I'm sure he would care more for your safety. Just explain to him what happened."

"But Suika wants to be useful. She doesn't wanna be afraid of monsters."

"Suika, just worry about your own health-"

"Wait, Dimentia!" Leic gasped. The young angel slowly walked up, bending over the curious melon-head. He looked her very closely in the big, blank eyes. Why, her head almost resembled a big, silly bug. "… … …I understand!"

"Understand what?"

"Dimentia…" Leic turned to her: his expression appeared unusually serious and strict, and yet his tone possessed its usual bubbliness. "We have to PROTECC Suika."

"P…Protecc?" Dimentia couldn't believe what she just heard.

"We have to PROTECC this girl at all costs… I feel that, if anything bad happens to this girl, something terrible will happen to us. I feel as if the universe would never forgive us if this girl were hurt. We have to PROTECC her… but at the same time, we need to behave ourselves around her."

"You have been nothing but a nuisance." Plex sighed in aggravation. "Dimentia, find where this girl lives and just warp her with an arrow if you have to, or just protecc—PROTECT her in a sub-dimension, something! We can't just let her run around with the Styles everywhere. …Dimentia?"

The woman had been quiet for a moment. She was focusing… intently on the curious child. Her big, melon-covered eyes, and her tiny 'o' shaped mouth… "I understand."

"Pardon?"

"Plex… there are some people in the universe that are more than what our senses tell us at first. You really have to look… really have to think… This girl possesses a nutritious chi. An extremely rare variety. I'm positive this is what attracted Sylistys to this world. No matter what… we must PROTECC her."

"I…I don't even know you, anymore." Plex shook his head.

"Suika… you're looking for a diamond, right? Then let's go and find it. We promise no harm will come to you."

"Suika doesn't understand." the child swayed her head. "But strangers seem friendly, so Suika accepts their help. It's easy to get lost in the caves, but Detective Suika knows the way!" (Play "Central Cavern" from _Banjo-Tooie_!)

_Stage D-2: Stone Cavern_

_Mission: PROTECC Suika!_

Suika stumbled on her unbalanced sandals up the cave, tripping every few steps, but would be up on her feet with a Melon Roll. Skelo-Lizards crept up along the ground and ceiling: Dimentia shot down the ceiling ones while Leic butter-fied those on the floor. The road was blocked by a stone gate, and there were three vines lodged into the ground. "One of these opens the way. Detective Suika will find it."

"It's the right one, just pull the right." Plex pointed.

"Shhhh." Dimentia hushed him. "Detective Suika will find it."

Suika examined each vine thoroughly, unaware of the Skelo-Lizards trying to bite her. She studied the middle one first… then went to the right one… She rolled over to the left… the middle one again… no, maybe it was the left… "Suika is positive!" She pulled the left vine—"Aaaah!" only then did she notice a lizard crawl up to her, so she jumped back in a haste—pulling that vine caused a large rock to fall. It crushed the lizard in place of Suika. "Uhhh…or maybe this one." Suika went to pull the right vine. The gate opened. "Aha! Suika knew it!"

The gate led to a watery cavern. Suika climbed onto a stalagmite, balancing unstably on its tip. Afterwards, she leapt to a platform with a frail stem, and there were a series of such platforms along the water. Dimentia, meanwhile, made a Grav-Path along the left wall for her and Leic. Dimentia saw the Skelo-Piranhas lurking in the water, but would snipe them before they would dare have their fill of Suika. "AAH!" A Skelo-Spider latched onto Dimentia from above, but Leic quickly cut it off. Dimentia gasped, seeing a piranha quickly bounce along the platforms from ahead of Suika, and she barely shot it in time. Suika seemed to be mindlessly twirling on one foot, halting her own progress. Ten piranhas jumped her from all directions—Suika bounced across the platforms quickly, dodging as they all bit into each other.

The spirits were quick to catch up once she had made it across. The cave would turn left… there was a brutish, terrifying Triceratops Style guarding the next passage. Dimentia was ready to attack it… before Leic called her attention to Suika. The little melon-head was bouncing up some platforms toward a huge wasp nest. "SUIKA!" Dimentia cried. "Don't touch that! Don't-!"

Alas, when Suika's curiosity compelled her, there was no stopping it. She made it up to the wasp nest and tapped it… It fell off its perch. "Waaaah!" Seeing the wasps buzzing in anger, Suika stumbled down the steps and rolled toward the triceratops. The wasps chased her in a fury, while the undead dinosaur opened its mouth to welcome her. Suika rolled directly toward the mouth, stopping in front as her melon faced the bees. With the swiftest motion, she dodged around the dino, tricking the wasps into flying into the mouth. The bugs stabbed their stingers through the bones and black chi, causing the dino's corpse to fall apart.

"Wow… those are deadly bees." Dimentia remarked. With that, they hurried after Suika. The child was mindlessly running around a dim cave in panic. The eyes of giant Skelo-Turtles glowed in the darkness, curling in their spiked shells to spin at her. Dimentia used the Arrow Warp to get the turtles away from her, which became rather tricky as she couldn't predict Suika's random course of movement. She was patient with the child regardless, and she found her way through the cave.

Suika immediately halted, stumbling on one foot before she could fall down an imposing cliff. When Dimentia and Leic caught up, they saw that the cliff sloped down and curved along the right. Suika curled up and rolled down that slope, picking up speed as Skelo-Earthworms emerged to bite her. Dimentia's quick snipe work saved her from the overgrown worms, but one of them popped up in surprise—when Suika rolled over it, her tucked-in hands grabbed the worm and yanked it out. The worm rolled with her into the next cave. "!" Sensing danger in that cave, Dimentia bolted down the slope.

There was a ravenous Skelo-Mammoth awaiting Suika, and it would've slurped her in its trunk—Suika chucked the earthworm up the trunk. The mammoth felt an awful sensation coursing through it, shaking furiously as Suika managed to get around the beast. When the others caught up, Dimentia trapped the mammoth in a Nega-Zone and spatially split its body into pieces. The earthworm flipped out, only for Leic to cleave it into an earth-butterfly. They caught up to Suika, who was stopped at another stone gate with a key-shaped slot. To their right was a tunnel. Up along the ceiling corner was a narrow path leading to the key.

"Suika will get it!" She curled up and rolled into the tunnel, a perfect fit as she flowed through like a ball in a machine. She would come out on the top path, in which Dimentia would shoot down Skelo-Bats flying to bite her.

"You could easily just jump up and take it." Plex stated.

"I could've, but Suika volunteered to get it." Dimentia replied with a simple argument. Leic fought against the Skelo-Hounds that tried to thwart Dimentia's protection, and the Inviere knew she was safe with the butterflies fluttering around her. Suika grabbed the key-shaped stone, dropping back to the ground and raising it proudly. She put the key into its slot, triggering an ancient mechanism that opened the gate. Suika skipped her way up some stairs, leading to a tunnel of glittery crystals.

The crystals were big and sharp, so Suika would stay away from them. However, opposite of the crystals, Skelo-Toads were puffing their black chi throats and trying to blow Suika into the spikes. Dimentia wouldn't dare let her melon be punctured, so she shot the toads without mercy. Some toads tried to rudely crush Suika from above, only to end up with an arrow through their throats. One more toad blocked the exit tunnel, but Dimentia couldn't get a lock on with Suika in the way. However, the child curled up, building momentum as she rolled against the toad's gust. She plowed through and blew the toad down. Dimentia killed the remains, having to crouch to crawl through the tunnel.

The three exited into a wider crystal cavern, light poking through gaps in the crust. "There it is! Suika's diamond!" She pointed to a small, shiny, posh clear gem on a flat-stopped stalagmite. Suika simply hopped up some steps above a pond and waddled toward the diamond. Dimentia and Leic smiled for her and followed behind- (End song.)

"AAAAAHH!" The head of a skeletal leviathan, what could only be part of a giant ancient fossil, exploded from the ground and snatched the spirits in its mouth.

"Angels?" Suika turned to them. At that instant, Sylistys emerged from the ground, grabbing the child by the neck. "UAAAAH!"

"LET HER GO!" Dimentia demanded, Arrow Warping herself out of the beast, but it was quick to attack her again.

"I don't know what it is, but the scent of this girl's chi is exotic." Sylistys said. "When I taste it, it may finally give me the strength I need… to consume the Heart of a World!" Hissing like a vampire, her fangs bared, she loomed to bite through Suika's melon.

"Waaaah! Waaaaaah!" Suika shook and vibrated frantically, helpless to escape—_SLOOP!_ Her body was instantly sucked into her melon, out of Sylistys' tight grip as she flipped and hit the ground. The woman growled and tried to grab her, the melon maneuvering swiftly around her. Sylistys bent giant bone fists from the ground, shaking the cave each time they missed Suika. She rolled against the pedestal with the diamond, and said pedestal was shattered by another Bone Fist! Little did Sylistys know of the large stalactite above herself, and the rapid quakes caused it to loosen and fall.

"?!" The bonebender was crushed beneath the stalactite's tip. Suika uncurled from her melon and faced the assaulter confusedly. Sylistys pushed herself off the ground and the stone away as well.

"Oh?" Suika noticed her diamond was discarded on the ground. She picked it up. Suika noticed a tiny sun ray above her and curiously held the diamond up into it. It exploded with light, shooting multiple directions.

"AH!" The light hit one of Sylistys' eyes, a mild irritation at best. "You little-!" She threw another Bone Fist that Suika dodged, then thrusted one up from below to propel her to the air.

Suika spun in her melon-head, but swiftly unraveled as she fell toward the woman and STABBED the diamond's point into her eye. "AAAH! Little BRAT!" She KICKED the child, sending Suika's curled melon form bouncing around the walls and bones. A stroke of luck would bounce her into Sylistys' face, further forcing the diamond through her skull. "AAAAAHH!"

Meanwhile, Dimentia was able to carve the leviathan's head into pieces, which were then made into butterflies. To their surprise, Sylistys was writhing in pain, digging her boney fingers into her eye as she yanked the diamond out painfully. "AGH! UCK!" She slammed it to the ground in a fury. Sylistys sensed the spirits approach and turned to them, her bleeding eye pulsating with rage.

"Heh…I guess my work's already done." Dimentia smirked.

"?!" The remark touched a nerve in Sylistys' mind. "I won't be outdone by that little brat! …L-Little… brat… little brat, little brat…"

Dimentia and Leic exchanged a curious look. The culprit was beginning to twitch, holding her aching head. "Brats… kids… little…"

"What are you mumbling about?"

"Grrr…with you around, I'll never have a chance to eat that child, anyway. What a waste of time for this wretched insect. This isn't over, Dimentia!" With a quick motion of her hand, she grabbed and dropped another marble—Dimentia lunged to grab her, but only smoke seeped through her fingers.

"S…Suika is… confused…"

Dimentia sighed, unable to sense Sylistys' presence on the planet. …She looked down at Suika with a smile. "That was amazing, Suika!"

"Amazing?"

"You beat that scary lady all by yourself! She ran away crying!"

"Suika did… Suika beat her?"

"You sure did!" Leic beamed. "And look! You even found the diamond you were looking for!"

Suika remembered the diamond on the ground. She wobbled to pick it up. It was dirtied from the attack, so she wiped it on her dress. She then popped out a lens from her right melon socket to magnify its beautiful texture. "…Hey." Suika turned to them. "Why did the monsters wanna eat Suika?"

"It's because…because you're a very special child." Dimentia replied earnestly.

"Suika is… special?"

"Yes." With a smile, the Zathurian approached and sat before Suika on her knees. "I can tell you're a blessed child, Suika. I may not understand why, but… you possess an aura. A special kind of aura that gods envy."

"The gods envy… my aura? What does that mean?"

"It means you're pure. You're a child whose purity outshines even a god's. It's because you're so pure that those monsters tried to eat you. Monsters like them are jealous of such purity. They wanted it for themselves."

"Then… if Suika keeps being pure, more monsters will come?"

"Well, there is a chance of that. But you needn't worry. Like I said, we're angels, Suika. The angels serve the gods… but the gods serve the humans. That means you have both of us to serve and guide you."

"Gods serve humans? Suika didn't know that."

"But it's true." Leic winked. "The gods make land for humans to live and make food for humans to eat. It's their job to make the perfect world for good children like you. But while the gods may work for you, you mustn't overly depend on them. Believe in yourself and you will succeed, just as you helped us scare off those mean monsters!"

"Believe in… myself?" Suika pointed at herself with a little smile. "Then… Suika will keep being useful! She will do her best for the Children's Club and all her friends! She won't be afraid of any monster!"

"That's the spirit, Suika!" Dimentia cheered.

"Hey… is it okay if Suika gives a gift to the angels?"

"Uh…is it?"

"But of course!" Leic beamed. "After all, mortals deliver gifts to gods and spirits all the time, for like holidays and stuff! It helps them stay close to the mortals. Plus, who are we to turn down a gift from this blessed child?"

They followed Suika to the beginning of the caves. The dank depths had been cleared of the monstrous Styles, ensuring a pleasant trek back. Once at the outside of the forest country, Suika reached into a gap within the wall. She pulled out two fine glasses like those at a bar. They had an apple juice inside them with a straw, and a cucumber decoration on the rim, resembling Suika's helmet.

"Suika was saving these to drink when she got back." She held them up to the spirits. "But Suika wants to thank the angels for helping her."

Dimentia and Leic politely took either glass. "When you drink half of it, put Suika's helmet in the glass."

Following her instructions, they sipped the straws. The first taste alone felt refreshing enough after such an excavation. Then, with half the drink gone, they put the cucumber helmet in. They sipped the rest.

A taste of watermelon flooded their mouths. With apple transforming to watermelon, thanks to an addition of cucumber, it was a magical feeling with a heavenly taste. A sun was shining over their hearts as they felt their souls drift to Melon Heaven.

"Suika's friend made it for her. It's called 'Two-Side Sunshine.'"

"Two-Side Sunshine… It really is." Dimentia said with bliss.

It was clear that Suika was a blessed child… but to receive such a divine gift from her… the spirits also felt blessed. To be thanked and rewarded by such a pure soul… there was no greater feeling. …Though now that Dimentia thought about it, this type of glass was very unusual for this region of Historia… or even the planet in general. It felt… too modern. If she didn't know better, she would've suspected these were snuck onto the planet by someone… Well, it probably wasn't her problem, either way.

With a final farewell, Suika began to roll her way back home. "Honestly, how could you fill her head with such ludicrous thoughts?" Plex asked. "Calling her a blessed child, saying the gods will serve her, she'll think she can get away with anything! What if Sylistys and her goons return, she could never survive on that dumb luck forever!"

"Plex, there are some powers in the universe that go beyond gods or demons." Dimentia replied with a knowing smile. "There are many people in this universe alone with that kind of blessedness… and Suika is one of them."

"As if 'blessedness' alone ever stopped the Daemonis. If you weren't around, Dimentia, she would've been killed, simple as that."

"Hee hee… you really don't understand, do you?" She giggled at the apparent obliviousness.

"Excuse me?"

"Dimentia, not to interrupt you and your Imaginary Friend," Leic cut in, "but should we try looking for Stylist some more?"

"Oh, yeah, I guess we should. What do you think was going on with her just then?"

"She prob'ly had to use the bathroom!" Leic grinned. 

"Ha ha ha! Then let's ambush her there!"

"Good idea!" Leic hopped onto her shoulders and Ascended them to the Spirit World.

**Spirit World; Coffee Lake**

The Coffee Lake resembled exactly what it was named for, a great lake of boiling chocolate with waterfalls of cream or sugar. People rode on cup-shaped boats, dipping smaller cups in to take drinks.

A group of high schoolers occupied a table. There was a blonde boy, Ryuji, rather strong and lean; Yusuke, a slender boy with dark-blue hair, dressed cleanly with a handsome frowning face; Ann, a perky blonde girl with pigtails and light clothing; Makoto, a mature-looking girl with short brown hair and a white blouse; and Futaba, a frail girl with long orange hair, big round glasses, and heavy pants and shoes. Futaba was positioned on her seat like a frog.

Joker, wearing glasses and a modest uniform, joined his friends at the table with Morgana; the short Mobian cat looked rather out-of-place compared to the humans. They waited for a while until Joker acknowledged Nolan approaching their table. (Maria's carriage was casually strolling far behind him.)

"Stranger, twelve o'clock!" Futaba alerted, darting her eyes like a sniper gun.

"Relax, this is the man I was waiting for." Joker assured. "He calls himself Sandman. Sandman, these are my friends." He went over their names.

"This guy has a beef with Skull Face the same as we do." Morgana informed. "And he wants to help us."

"We can't just have some old guy crashin' our style." Ryuji remarked. "Hell, the whole point of us is we don't let adults tell us what to do."

"Honestly, I'm not that old. I didn't even live to be 40. Anyway, you said you've found where your friend is being held, right?"

"I've drawn a map of Silent Hill." Yusuke splayed it open on the table. "This hotel is where they're holding Haru captive. We are expected to get on a boat near Rosewater Park, and be transported to this island on Toluca Lake. Once Skull Face sees that we have the Voice, he claims he will send for a man to bring Haru from the hotel."

Nolan could see that small island was perfectly in the path between the park and Lakeview Hotel on their opposite shores. "Listen, we may have the Voice, but we can't hand it over to him. My friend is working to construct an identical copy."

"But is that really going to fool Skull Face?" Makoto asked.

"And what's to stop him from doing the same? One of Skull Face's accomplices has the power to summon replicas of people. There's a chance he could bring a replica over and not the real Haru. Joker and I are going to sneak over to this hotel and investigate it. When does the meeting take place?"

"He said he was a patient man. He said to take our time, so long as we bring it before too long. And that he'll be waiting."

"That's very strange… considering how tight his schedule must be. Hmm…Joker, you and I are going to ride there together. We'll approach Silent Hill from the northwest and make our way to the hotel. We'll sneak in and rescue Haru. Meanwhile, one of my other friends will be on standby with a sniper ready, watching the island and the route to the hotel. When we rescue Haru, you'll make your way to the island and lure him out for the meeting. He'll shoot Skull Face, either if he sees through the trick and tries to attack you, or if he rows to the hotel to retrieve Haru. In either scenario, one of our groups will have to jump him immediately after the surprise attack. Do everything you can to subdue him."

"But there's all kinds of dark spirits roaming that town." Ann said. "What if he trained them as guards?"

"Meager dark spirits aren't much to worry about. The only concern is if he has his accomplices with him. If the situation appears too dangerous, make your escape. Since you're not really dead, you should easily be able to return to the Mortal World."

"Not if we're in a dark place like Silent Hill." Morgana replied. "We can't Descend from a place with bad chi."

"Perhaps we should consider my plan to remodel Mona into a helicopter." Futaba suggested.

"Don't tear apart my soul like that!" The friends chuckled at Morgana's frustration.

"I have a car that works with remote control." Nolan mentioned. "Goes over water, too. If we keep in contact with each other, I'll send it over if things go south. If we focus and cooperate carefully, we'll keep both Haru and the Voice out of Skull's hands."

"Wait, excuse me?" Ryuji replied with a scowl.

"You know, Skull Face?"

"Oh, right." Ann chuckled awkwardly. "I just realized, Ryuji's codename is Skull. …That's gonna be a little confusing. Maybe we'll just stick to calling him Skull Face."

"I run across that problem a lot." Nolan replied. "I had two friends named 'Crystal.'"

"Speaking of Skull Face," Futaba began, "even if we attempt a sneak attack, it may not go that easily. When I examined him the first time, he had a Power Level around 19,000."

"For real?!" Ryuji exclaimed. "That's, like, Yonko Commander level!"

"Yonko Who?" Nolan asked.

"It's Japanese for 'Four Emperors.'" Makoto clarified. "Ryuji was a big fan of the Pirate War."

"Damn straight! Just look at my Zanpakutō. Captain Kidd used to be a pirate way back in the old days. Fought with all kinds of big names back then, like Kaido or Cavendish."

"Regardless, that's pretty strong." Joker replied. "I'd advise retreating before anything else. Saving Haru takes priority at the moment. That being said… what vehicle will we be using, Sandman?"

Within a few moments, Joker was invited into Maria's dollhouse. "…" He was staring awkwardly out the window at his friends, who studied him like an identical figurine.

"Fascinating…" Yusuke said.

"Oooooo! A magical, portable storage house!" Futaba expressed in awe, her enormous glasses completely blocking Joker's view. "How do we get one of these?! I can be the same size as my action figures and do fights with them!"

"Don't stand around for too long." Nolan said. "We're trusting you with the secret, but we don't want too many outsiders to be wary of Maria."

"Right." Joker smiled awkwardly. "So, why don't we get started with the mission? …And give me some personal space."

**Silent Hill**

Silent Hill resembled a town from Earth that had long been shut down. This horrific town of mutant monsters also existed as the dreamscape of a man named James Sutherland. Perhaps due to some traumatic past, he envisioned his hometown as a world of nightmares, longing for punishment, and when he died, this dark representation of Silent Hill moved from the Dream World to Spirit World.

The Phantom Thieves were hidden in an alleyway as Futaba studied a digital map. They were all dressed in their thief attire, with Futaba wearing a skin suit with green lines and big red goggles. "It's hard to get a read on the life-forms here with all this fog in the air. Keeps interfering with my sensors."

"At least the snow makes this place feel pretty." Makoto said, entranced by the gentle flurries drifting in the fog.

"Pardon me, but… this does not feel like snow." Yusuke replied somberly, catching one of the flurries to taste it. "It feels… more like… ash."

"A-a-a…ash?!" Makoto paled behind her black mask. "Is this air polluted or something?! W-Why would you just taste that?!"

"Hey, settle down!" Morgana ordered in a hushed tone. "Let's keep a low profile until Joker sends the signal. We really have to be on point with this operation."

Solid Snake had made his way to a coast along Sandford Street, close to the hotel, on his front and eye trained in his sniper. He was studying the island, the meeting point in the middle of the lake, intently. "This fog is unbearable… but I still have a decent visual on the island. Skull Face won't go down with just a sniper shot… but it'll give us a better chance at subduing him. I better be on point for this…"

Maria was calmly steering her carriage around the northwest side of the foggy town. Sandman and Joker were treated to a meal prepared by Gohda, complete with coffee from the lake to keep their energy invigorated and their minds focused. "So, Joker… you say all your friends learned Zanpakutō abilities?"

"Yes. It was quite simple, once they had been introduced to this world."

"Simple? Heh…I've been dead for almost five months and I still haven't been able to learn my Zanpakutō's name. Just how much training do you have to accomplish?"

"It isn't really a matter of training or Power Level. From what I understand… the Zanpakutō decides when you're ready to learn its name."

"But how does it decide?"

"It differs from person to person. However, each of my friends had similar desires: we decided to free ourselves of the oppression set by our superiors and stand against them."

"Stand against our superiors, huh? Well, that's something I've mastered since I was a kid… so, that's probably not the answer."

"I'm sure it'll awaken to you soon." Joker smiled in support.

"York-san, this seems like a good place to get off." Maria reported, driving through a small gorge in the ground.

"Maria, protect the Voices for me. Signal us if you're attacked or anything."

"You can leave it to Maria and Gohda-san!"

_Stage 3: Silent Hill_

_Mission: Rescue Haru and attempt to subdue Skull Face._

Sandman and Joker exited the dollhouse, discretely approaching Silent Hill. The first creatures to bother them were Creepers, insects that were larger than their shoes, but rendered useless with a few strong stomps. They followed a road within a small trench, but hid behind a rock: a Feral was sniffing along the ground, a skinless canine creature with blood dripping. The Feral felt their scent and sniffed toward them—Joker nimbly pounced the beast for a Silent KO.

They were nearing a tall fence with barb wire, with nurse-like monsters guarding the other side and faced away from them. Toward the left were some thin ledges going up the cliff wall. Joker leapt up those ledges and onto one of the poles of the fence, so Sandman followed the young man's example. They positioned their selves on poles directly above the Bubble Head Nurses, and at the same time, they dropped on the nurses and KO'ed them, with Joker yanking off one's face into a mask.

They progressed, seeing the Lakeview Hotel forming from the fog. There were three monstrous patrol cars circling the perimeter, and humanoid monsters called Lying Figures slogging around the hotel's back patio. The duo ducked and crawled immediately after a car passed, crossing the road and hiding under one of the patio tables. There was no way to avoid a direct battle, so they jumped the first two Lying Figures. The others retaliated by shooting poison mist at the intruders. Luckily, Sandman's gas mask protected him from the poison, so he sliced the monsters to down them. Joker dodged behind one to slice it up, then threw its body into another.

After defeating the beasts, the two crept down and peered through a window into the back room. There was a four-legged creature creepily crawling around the room (resembling a woman's legs connected at a center), and the door was locked. They searched toward the right and saw a strip of building broken off. Joker hopped on a table, then leapt to the gutter along the wall, from which he could crawl into that opening. Now above the backroom, he dropped from a vent onto the Mannequin creature, KOing it. He unlocked the door for Sandman.

They followed a passage to a stairwell that had security lasers along the steps. They would have to jump and clamber across a ceiling grate, setting foot on the floor above. There were multiple doors to different rooms, but nothing to obstruct them.

_Thump…thump…_

They heard footsteps from the corner ahead. Sandman and Joker hid behind separate doors: a pyramid-headed monster with a muscular body and large knife stomped around the corner and down the passage. Sandman looked to Joker, who shook his head 'no' in the narrow gap of his door. They were simply patient as the monster slowly passed them, trudging down the stairs. Once they were sure it was gone, they stepped out. "That thing possessed a powerful aura." Nolan whispered. "I see why you didn't want to fight it."

"Let's be sure to avoid it. Still… I have to admit, it would make a pretty cool mask."

They crouched before that right corner, seeing a security camera. Joker noticed an electrical outlet in the wall. "I have something." He plugged a charger into it, connected to his smartphone. "Oracle, this is Joker. I need your skills."

_"Right away, Bro."_ The phone became static as Futaba appeared to be hacking it.

"Wow, her name's Oracle." Nolan remarked, thinking of a Batman reference. "Wait, did she call you 'Bro'? Are you related?"

"She's my Coffee Sister."

"Coffee Sister." Nolan nodded, pretending to understand that meaning. "Yeah…"

"Her Zanpakutō has the power to hack networks, and she can hack them through our phones as well. She's going to make the cameras repeat static recordings, so we won't be spotted. Of course, I'll have to take the phone with me, so we only have a minute." With that assured, they passed the camera before it could regain sight. They were shortly stopped by a door with a code terminal and another outlet. Joker plugged Futaba into the system again. "Oracle, could you open this door for us?"

_"That's a negatory; it's one of those old-timey terminals. However, there is a camera on the opposite side. Give me a sec."_ In a sec, the phone played a recording of Pyramid Head coming down some stairs. The creature inputted a code in a terminal on the opposite side: 9182. Sandman typed that code, but it was unaccepted. …Wondering if it worked the opposite way, he typed 2819, and it unlocked. Futaba also made sure the camera wouldn't notice them as they passed the door and up the stairs.

They stayed down as they crossed the next hall and peered into a dining room. "…!" Sandman recognized the blonde man at a table, President Valentine. Across from him was a girl with fluffy pink hair under a cavalier hat with a large black feather, a mask, and a pink blouse under a black corset.

"America has become a rather pitiable place thanks to the World Government's corruption. My wish was to become one of them… but I was sorely mistaken. Never once did they value my influence."

"I'm terribly sorry." The girl bowed her head sadly. "You seem like a very kind man… and yet, with your own position of power, even you were under the leash of corrupt adults."

"Indeed… but even as I lay dead, I will ensure that America remains the strongest country in the world. A country of peace and prosperity. Terrorists like Skull Face will not have their way with my people."

"Then I'll do my best to make sure you succeed."

"You have my thanks, dear Noir."

Sandman and Joker returned downstairs and hid in a room. "That was Haru. But… why was she just talking to him like that?"

"That's the man I was talking about. That must have been a clone of Haru." Sandman deduced. "He's probably going to hand the fake over and keep the real one for leverage."

"Then where could the real Haru be?"

"She couldn't be far from here… but if Valentine's around, it'll be difficult to get her out. …Joker, I think we should begin the tradeoff now. Maybe we can trick him into leaving and search for the real Haru before they realize what's up?"

"Very well…" Joker called his friends and explained the situation.

…

"A fake Haru?" Ryuji questioned.

"Just as he predicted." Makoto replied. "Okay… let's go. Joker's going to have a pretty tight window to save Haru and pull that sneak attack on Skull Face. …That's even assuming it won't be left to us."

"Hey, it's the six of us against him, he don't stand a chance."

"But he's over 19,000! !" Futaba exclaimed.

"Just leave the talking to me." Makoto stated. "We need them to lure that Valentine person out of the building."

The Phantom Thieves made their way to the coast near Rosewater Park. There was a collection of rowboats, so the boys occupied one while the girls took another. They felt nervous as they rowed across the misty lake, with only a faint light to serve as their guide. "Hm? Is this a radio?" Yusuke asked, pushing a button on the device.

_"Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream! Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream~"_

Ryuji turned it off. "Don't just give us away like that!"

"But they should already know we're coming, anyway." Ann replied.

"I know! But in this type of place, that song don't settle my nerves at all."

The thieves docked at the central island. From his position, Snake could vaguely make out their forms. "Skull Face! We have what you want! Now, bring Haru back to us!" Makoto called out.

A shadowy figure calmly walked out from behind a hill. Skull Face stepped into their full view. "Show it to me."

"…" Makoto nervously opened the case, exposing the blue orb with a song note. "It's right here. Now, show us Haru."

"…" He seemed to stare at the orb for a moment. The thieves were alert as he reached into his pocket… and withdrew a communicator. "Valentine… bring the girl."

In the hotel, Valentine stood from his seat and said, "It's time to hand you over. Come."

"Yes, Mr. President." Haru smiled politely and followed him.

As Sandman and Joker listened, they could only hear a single pair of footsteps passing the room. …They carefully peeked out the door, but confirmed that both Valentine and Haru were leaving. "Valentine's footsteps… make no sound?" Nolan whispered.

"Let's hurry." Joker exited and returned upstairs. Sandman followed, the two studying the dining room and finding another stairwell behind a door. The stairs were filthy with dried blood, and they led to a wide, empty chamber covered by a decorative red carpet.

"JOKER!" a voice suddenly called out. With a gasp, they faced up, seeing two Pyramid Heads on an upper level. A girl was suspended upside-down, resembling the one who was just with Valentine.

"Noir!" exclaimed Joker. "So, that other one really was a fake!"

"Joker, be careful! These are copies of the strongest spirit on Silent Hill, Pyramid Head! That man used his power to make them!"

"Their auras don't feel as strong as the one we just saw." Nolan said. "We can take these two together, Joker!" (Play "Mini-boss" from _Spongebob: BFBB_!)

The twin Pyramid Heads faced each other. With spears in hand, they leapt off the ledge, twirling them in a mirrored fashion as they faced their foes vigorously. They twirled and danced in the center of the room, a circle of spears piercing the floor and ceiling. "They're… quite groovy, aren't they?" Joker asked.

"Now I'm positive these are clones." Sandman remarked.

"Sandman, my Arsene has another ability: if I manage to rip off two masks at the same time, I can fuse them into a single mask with a stronger spirit. Do you mind if we try to do that, in case we'll have to face the main Pyramid Head?"

"Your call, kid."

_Boss fight: Pyramid Twins_

The twin monsters did a little jig as the spears thrusted in and out with their movements. After every few seconds, the Pyramids would jab toward the duo, the spears doing the same, prompting Sandman and Joker to duck and get between. However, it was during these jabs that they were stopped briefly enough for the two to jump in. The heroes got to opposite sides and clashed with either Pyramid Head simultaneously. Sandman zapped Pale Lightning against one's chest, but the beast endured and jabbed. Sandman grabbed the spear and tried to tug it away, and at the same time, Joker donned the mask of the Bubble Head Nurse to be impaled by his Pyramid's spear.

Both heroes saw the backs of either Pyramid and launched energy ropes at them. They latched the heads of the opposite ones and forcefully pulled them into each other. With that, Joker pounced on the conjoined Pyramids and struggled to tear their heads off, but the monsters shook him away. They willed spears to stick up and push them away. Spears were circling around and enveloping the whole inner circle of the room. Sandman tried to Line Launch at them, but quickly changed course when they nearly stabbed him.

Nolan noticed that he accidentally kicked the heads off some of the spears, but they would reform from energy. Sandman used the Launcher again, changing course repeatedly to kick the spearheads off. Joker then used Flash Steps to jump across the hilts, and when a Pyramid tried to jab him, he grabbed its spear. The rotating hilt he was on continued moving, causing him to pull the spear around and against the other Pyramid. They stumbled as the other spears sank into the floor. Sandman and Joker roped the opposite Pyramid and tugged them into each other. Joker pounced the twin monsters and pulled their heads. Sandman could see faint lights appear, signaling Joker's power take effect, but they were able to shake him off again.

Both Pyramids jumped to opposite ends of the room, their spears on fire as they quickly rotated, maintaining their exact distance. They halted, leapt, and threw their spears at the duo. They dodged, the spears left stabbed in the ground, but the Pyramids conjured new ones. The heroes tried to search for some sort of opening, dodging once more when they threw the spears again. "Joker, like this!" Sandman latched a rope to an opposite spear's hilt, and Joker latched the spear on Sandman's side. They waited for the Pyramids to rotate to their ends, and both forcefully tugged their ropes at the same time, yanking and flinging the discarded spears into the monsters.

The Pyramids were impaled in the stomach, but still standing and groaning. The heroes roped the hilts again and ran past each other, pulling the Pyramids over via the spears. They forced the Pyramids into crashing, leaving Joker to leap and grab both heads again. With one final tug, the Pyramid Heads were completely unmasked. Their heads fused into a single, six-sided pyramid. (End song.)

Joker leapt up onto Haru's ledge and untied her, allowing her to land right-side-up. "Thank you so much, Joker. I'm so sorry to have troubled you like this."

"It's all right. But we have to go, the others will need our help."

"Oh, of course!" Haru followed them with a gasp as they headed downstairs. "But might I ask what's happening? Who is this man?"

"Snake," Sandman picked up his Soul Phone, "how's the tradeoff going?"

_"Sandman, Maria just called! The Voices, they…!"_

"What happened to the Voices?!"

**Maria's carriage**

A few moments beforehand, Gohda was helping the stuffed dolls clean the living room. "Huh?" He noticed the Voice of Lingering Regrets began to shake inside its bag. "…?!" Arms and legs sprouted out of the orange orb. The butler backed away in fear as the Voice seemed to grow a body: an orange, robed creature with wide, sad eyes. "M-M-M-Maria-chan!"

"Huh?" Maria peered into the window, curious what Gohda's concern was. "WAAAAH!" The Voice suddenly jumped out of the dollhouse, carrying the Voice of Lost Time in its arms as it scampered off. "Th-The Voice! Wait, come back!" Maria whipped the reins of her rocking horse and tried to give chase.

"Maria-chan, wait! Call the grown-ups, this could be dangerous!"

**Toluca Lake**

The Phantom Thieves watched patiently as a boat was sailing from the lake behind Skull Face. …Haru was riding the boat, but the person with her wasn't Valentine, it was Pyramid Head. They nearly shirked at the sight of the imposing spirit, and its presence felt heavier as they stepped on land. "…You thought you could trick me with that fake Voice?" Skull Face smirked.

The thieves flinched at the question. "Accusin' us of bringin' a fake?!" Ryuji shouted. "Well, look who's talkin'!"

"Oh? So, you already know this isn't the real Haru?"

"You were never planning to honor your agreement!" Morgana shouted. "You'll never get your hands on the real Voice!"

"I already have, Kitten. But I'll leave Valentine to retrieve them. Pyramid Head can have you all." Skull Face ducked behind his hiding place and seemed to disappear in a flash.

"W-Where did he go?!" Ann exclaimed.

"Foolish thieves!" proclaimed the fake Haru. "That was merely a parallel summoned by Valentine!"

"WATCH OUT!" cried Futaba as Pyramid Head raised its Great Knife. The knife sent a deadly shockwave that split the land. Fake Haru used her Zanpakutō, Milady, to attack Makoto and split her into three copies.

"Captain KIDD!" Ryuji summoned his sword's spirit, a red-haired, roguish young man with an open jacket. His right, mechanical arm punched Fake Haru, turning her magnetic as Pyramid's knife was drawn to her, weighing Haru down.

"Grr, dammit!" Snake cursed at the dire situation, shooting the sniper at Pyramid's head. The head bent as the beast stumbled, and then Yusuke used his paintbrush Zanpakutō, Goemon, to try and trap him in a painting. Pyramid Head fought out of the frame and leapt to reclaim his knife, forcing Haru off and kicking her away. Ann attacked him with her whip, Carmen, and each blow would add an extra layer of clothing over the beast, causing him to grow heavy and struggle to swing his weapon. Ann jumped away from a forceful swing, and Pyramid began to cut the clothing off.

Morgana KO'ed Fake Haru while she was down, allowing the three Makotos to reform into one. Makoto mounted her motorcycle, Johanna, which conjured energy spheres on the ground. She spun as the cycle hit the spheres into Pyramid with strong force.

_"Guys, Sandman is sending his Soulmobile to your location. We have Haru, but it sounds like the Lost Voices were stolen!"_

"Stolen?!" Makoto yelled into the communicator. "How did they figure out our plan?!"

_"I don't know, but for now, we should make our escape. Is it there, yet?"_

They saw a vehicle zooming along the lake, driving up on the island and swerving to a halt. "WAAAAAH!" Morgana cried, nearly flung over by the turning craft. "IT'S HERE, IT'S HERE!"

"I'm calling shotgun!" Ryuji jumped into the seat.

"Super less dorky!" Futaba ran and tripped, her front falling against the rim of the car.

"Less dorky than what?!" Mona yelled in defense, scrambling into the car. The other thieves hopped in, and Futaba pushed the rest of herself in, flipping up and lying across Yusuke and Ann's laps. Makoto took the driver seat, but merely held onto the wheel as the car zoomed itself away from the island.

Meanwhile, Valentine had taken another car and was blissfully driving away from the town. In the foggy expanse, an orange light was running around the field. Valentine drove to catch up and park in its way. He held a phone down to the creature. "Your master is on the phone."

_"It's alright, precious. No need to fear this man."_ Skull Face's voice said.

The creature made a confused sound and cocked its head in such a way. "(Mas…ter?)" it spoke in an unusual language.

_"My parasites have grown accustomed to you well, I see. Rest assured, young Voice. You will be remembered soon."_

"(Remembered… soon?)" the curious creature asked. "(I'll… be… remembered?)"

* * *

**Suika is from _Dr. Stone_, and Silent Hill is from its titular series!**


	7. The Bride of Dracula

**Warning: several people have the same name in this chapter!**

* * *

**_Chapter 7: The Bride of Dracula_**

**Sanctuary of Unwanted Feelings**

Deep in the Underworld, there was a great temple built within a vast trench, shaped like a split, broken heart. A horde of Angels were blasted from the temple. A giant Paradiso was thrown. Bayonetta zoomed up the hill from the temple on her slender legs. A purple orb with a music note was tucked under her right arm. "You'll break a lady's heart if you keep me waiting, darlings~. Can't you run faster?"

"Stop where you stand, heathen!" Bayonetta halted when Ash Landers landed in her way, drawing a fencing sword. "Take your filthy hands off the Voice."

Bayonetta twirled around, and when she faced him, the orb was now under her dress, against her belly. "You wouldn't hurt a pregnant woman with glasses, would you~?"

Ash grit his teeth. "FILTHY! !" His sword projected an aura that, when swung, resembled soap scrubbing across the air. He lunged at Bayonetta, who dodged the soapy blade and clashed one of her own against it. Her blade suddenly became shiny and sparkly clean, causing Ash's sword to slip cleanly down it and nearly strike the witch. She dropped the sword to dodge back, then conjured a giant Demon Arm of Dark Chi. It punched the punier Angel, but Ash blocked it with his sword, an explosion of bubbles jutting out as the Dark Chi morphed into suds.

Bayonetta ran around and tried to shoot him, but her bullets cut through a cloud of suds. "My Zanpakutō, Angela, can scrub anything to beautiful cleanliness, including tainted souls. Using large doses of it cleanses my soul as well," the suds cleared, revealing Ash in a feminine form, "and changes my gender."

Bayonetta's brows twitched at the strange side-effect. "Well, I respect your lifestyle, darling, but it might be difficult to explain to our child."

Bayonetta dodged Angela's retaliation and kicked her away. She looked to her discarded sword and saw its 'cleanliness' had worn off, so she reclaimed it. "But it looks like nothing stays clean forever."

"Yes… no matter how much I try to cleanse tainted souls, cleanse this filthy world, filth is doomed to dirty them again!" She aggressively scrubbed against the ground, flying around Bayonetta to surround her with a slippery field. "When a road is paved with new blacktop, it'll decay and crumble again after enough use. Mortal children born with sweet souls will become rotten over time!" The rapid scrubbing turned Angela back into a man. "Cleanliness is a dream we can never reach. Everything is doomed to be filthy, filthy, filthy!"

"On second thought, you're just not my type." Bayonetta grew butterfly wings to fly over the polished ground.

She saw the ground below cracking, and soon after, a large figure erupted out: it was Amalthus, donned in a bulky white armor with blue energy tentacles emitting from his back. "Thousand Tentacles!" Amalthus whipped the tentacles up at Bayonetta, but the witch used Witch Time, slowing the tentacles as she skied down one. Once at Amalthus, she set time back to normal and landed a kick to his face, jumping off to the ground. "Domination!" Amalthus whipped her with a tentacle, her butterfly wings disappearing. "Sacred ARROW!" He willed energy arrows to rain from above, but she was unable to slow time down as some arrows pierced her.

Bayonetta dodged Amalthus' tentacle attacks, but when Ash flew from behind, she sent a dark dragon to attack the smaller Angel. "It's pointless to face me!" Amalthus declared, trapping Bayonetta's limbs. "My Zanpakutō, Blade Eater, allows me to take the energy of other Zanpakutō by impaling myself with them. My loyal soldiers have given me their power! In Arceus's name, I will-"

"Isn't it annoying that everyone has to announce and explain their abilities? Why couldn't we just stick to basic element bending?"

"How dare you interrupt me!"

"I don't even want to ask why you went with the tentacle theme."

Bayonetta STAMPED Amalthus with a giant Dark Leg, pushing him off, followed by an uppercut with a Dark Arm. Amalthus was blown into the air, curving upside-down on the incline. "AAH?!" The hole he had burrowed from appeared in his vision. _"Not agaaaaaaiiiiiiinnn…!"_ His voice echoed ever further into the hole of his very width.

"You can help him, can't you?" Bayonetta asked Angela, dodging beams of soap bubbles. "Be a dear and do that, I'm quite late to a party. Witch Time!" She slowed time once more and fled from Angela. She called Hollows to attack her, but Angela used her power to turn the dark spirits into Paradisos.

"Fleeing again, Witch?" Angela glared. "You only run because you fear the light of Justice!"

**Castlevania**

Bayonetta's heels clacked and echoed against the patterned floor of the ballroom. Hundreds of masked guests in fancy costumes watched as she approached the host, the Lost Voice in hand. The host was clothed in a black cape that was red underneath, an open coat with the same colors, a white neckerchief over a shirt with blazing rims, and a white wig of many curls around his sharp, pale face. "Count Dracula… I have brought your wedding gift."

The Vampire Lord held open his palm. Bayonetta lightly set the Voice in the clutch of his clawed fingers. He raised it and turned as he spoke poetically. "The Voice of Unwanted Feelings… the remnants of a tribe cursed vith heartbreak. Love gone unrequited. A testament to all I had lost. But now to be reborn anew as we are joined in matrimony."

Dracula presented the Voice to a woman in a velvet, decorative coat and a mask with sad, yet joyous eyes. The brown-haired woman said nothing, but put a hand to her heart as if to ask, 'For me?' She took the Voice in both hands and held it close. The foreign song emitting from the orb sounded rather somber.

"I gladly welcome Ms. Bayonetta to my domain!" Dracula announced. "Ve hope you enjoy the festivities! Let us dance in celebration of both our union, and our alliance vith The Skulls!"

The party was rather colorful and extravagant with all kinds of costumed couples joining hands and twirling. "'Guess I'd better dress up myself." Bayonetta decided. "Shall I go for Samus or Peach?"

Dracula danced with his betrothed for a while before passing her over to another man dressed like a skeleton in a purple king's cape. "The moment I knew who you were, I knew you would be the perfect wife for our potential friend, Dracula." Skull Face told her. "How convenient that Sandman has crossed both him and myself. He's proving to be very useful… and you'll be useful, too."

The tiny ball of light flew onto the Voice. "Now, do me a favor and speak to it…"

**Maria's dollhouse**

"That doesn't make any goddamn sense!" Nolan thundered at Gohda. "The Voice of Regrets just grew a body, took the other one, and ran away?!"

"I-It's true, York-san!" Gohda replied in panic. "I was only cleaning, the Voices were sitting still in their bags, and then it happened all of the sudden!"

"It's not 'THE' sudden, it's 'A' sudden, and it STILL doesn't make sense! Maria, did your book say anything about the Voices being able to do that?!"

"Maria only read a little bit." replied the mage from outside the house, driving the carriage with a regretful expression. "She doesn't remember anything like that, uuuu…"

"Maybe it's some kind of defense mechanism." Snake inputted. "If a Voice is removed from its sanctuary, it comes to life and tries to find its way back. And it'll take one of the other Voices if they're stolen, too?"

"Even if that's true, how can it warp back to Darkrai's dream?" Nolan argued. "Heck, what if the Voice of Regrets was just a fake? We did find it in Ocelot's possession after all, it could've been a big trap to take one of the others!"

"You're not wrong… That could explain why Valentine decided to leave the scene."

Joker and Haru sat at the living room couch, watching TV. "They're still talking about the Pirate War?" Haru asked.

"Well, it was a pretty big event." Joker figured. "But still, you'd think…"

The TV displayed a meeting taking place on Coruscant.

**Galactic Council**

"Why should it matter if the remaining Emperors have become more peaceable?" questioned Angella, the representative of Etheria. She was a humanoid woman with soft pinkish skin, hair, clothing, and a silver cape. "I, for one, at least demand reparations from the Boogey Pirates, for their constant invasions of the Boiling Isles."

"Aren't the Boiling Isles unaligned with your kingdom?" asked the High President of Osiris. "Much like the poorly-managed Crimson Wastes. It's no wonder the pirates like to visit such chaotic areas."

"The only ones who frequent the Crimson Wastes are YOUR people! Honestly, what makes you think it's a vacation site?"

"I agree with Queen Angella." President Linkyn of Kateenia gave his input. "Some of my people visited Gerudo Town on Hyrule during the pirates' invasion. And some of them were swept up by that Skaios fellow during his invasion of the desert. I demand payment from both!"

"Wait just a moment!" yelled Boa Hancock, Empress of Amazonia. "Gerudo Town only allows women! What would your people be…?"

"Th-They were female Kateenians!" Linkyn flushed. "Don't just accuse us of something like that!"

"Even if they seem mellowed out for now," began Zaádéa, the Queen of Glomour, "that's no guarantee that the Four Emperors changed their ways. They could decide to strike again at any time."

"There are still some Kremling groups in hiding on Mobius." followed Cheadle, Chancellor of Mobius. "Considering their allegiance to King Bowser and other dangerous warlords, I'm afraid of retaliation on their part. My planet is still in a state of disrepair due to what happened."

"Are you saying we should send all the resources to you?" Jacques Schnee asked. "How selfish. The Four Emperors have harmed many worlds, you know."

"I wasn't being selfish!" Cheadle yelled in rage. "Excuse me if I'm worried for my peoples' safety, after all our homes were destroyed! We're struggling to provide provisions for them enough as it is!"

"Should we inform all the pet stores then? How is anyone going to feed their dogs?"

"Why don't you pansies just BUST the Emperors and make them cough up?!" shouted Mom, the President of MomCorp. "I ain't paying for their damage!"

"You know, we Legoans are expert craftsmen." Lord Business mentioned with a chuckle. "We would be happy to assist in rebuilding your-"

"ARE YOU TRYING TO ONE-UP ME?!" Mom pushed a button on her platform, which triggered a robot arm to rise from Business's platform and slap him. "Your plastic toys are garbage! My robots can outbuild your Legos like beavers on steroids!"

"That's an interesting analogy, but I accept your challenge, Carol." Business teased.

"Listen, why don't we all take a moment to settle down?" asked King Mickey. "It's true that we should keep an eye on the Emperors, but we mustn't forget to enjoy the little things in life. For instance, cooking!" The mouse threw on a chef's hat. "The Cooking Festival will take place in a month, am I correct? I say it's the perfect way to ease the hearts of the universe-hoho!"

"Well, the Cooking Fest is the responsibility of the Gourmet Hunter's Association." Chancellor Phyronix replied. "Still, I think you're right, King Mickey. The recipes cooked at the festival are later served to the poor and needy, and I'm certain a lot of people could use some uplifting meals after the war!"

"Let me say that I agree!" Gruntilda proclaimed. "I'm already prepared for the festivitie…s! I've prepared mountains of ingredients, good, to be cooked and served at the festival of food!"

"My, that's awfully kind of you, Grunty!" Mickey cheered. "Mind if I have a sample or two?"

"If you desire, little mouse. My foods are sure to rock the house!"

**Dollhouse**

"You know," Joker said, "Sandman said that Skull Face caused his friends to go mute with his parasites. But if he's been sending them around for a while, why wouldn't it be a point of discussion? Just how many other people have been going mute?"

"Maybe Skull Face has to activate them himself." Nolan overheard. "And he's only choosing a minimum amount of victims so no one realizes what's happening. But anyone can go mute at any time."

"This is really awful." Haru sighed somberly. "I know that some people already have the inability to speak, but even I can imagine how hard it would be to live with that. If I couldn't raise my voice and speak my mind as I pleased…"

"This is why Sandman wants to find the Lost Voices." Joker replied.

"Hm?" Snake looked to Nolan. "So… you _are_ planning to open the tower."

"Sigh…yes." Sandman admitted. "In the event we can't force Skull Face to cooperate… Babel may be our only hope. If the peoples' voices can't come back after killing the parasites, maybe Babel can bring them back."

"I have a bad feeling about this, Nolan… Are you sure there's not a reason the Angels wanna keep it closed?"

"They're just afraid of Skull Face! That's why we have to detain him as soon as possible! If only they would freakin' understand…!"

Snake glared at him for a moment, but released a sigh. "Something strange is going on here… but now that I'm a part of this, I have to do my part to bring Skull Face to justice. As for you kids… you don't need to be roped up in this any longer."

"Actually, I would like to stay and lend whatever support I can." Joker replied. "I won't be able to rest knowing such a heinous operation is going on."

"I would like to stay and help, too." Haru replied.

"Actually, Noir, you should return home for a while with the others, before too many people grow concerned. Perhaps you could study the situation at home. See if anybody else is losing their voice."

"Actually, if you're going back to the Mortal World, I have a favor to ask." Nolan said. "Try to get in contact with the Kids Next Door. Tell them what you know about the parasites without mentioning me; it's illegal for me to contact living people that I knew. Maybe they can find a way to track these spirit parasites and do something. In fact, there's a chance Skull Face implanted one in you."

"Oh…oh, my." Haru gasped. "Well… then I'd best get home. And it may not help your discretion to have our whole large group travel with you. …Still, living in a dollhouse like this feels adorably pleasant." She smiled. "I hope we get to visit again sometime." With that, she left the dollhouse to go rejoin the other thieves.

Nolan received a call on his communicator and answered. _"Nolan, it's Emily. Where are you right now?"_

"I'm, uh… kind of out at the moment."

_"W-What does that mean?! Nolan, the Divine Angels are searching the treehouse! I was lucky enough to be away when I came back and saw them!"_

"They're at Sector WITCH?! Crap, I knew they would be onto me before long!"

"Oh, no!" Maria gasped. "Maria's family is still at the treehouse! W-What if they get taken prisoner?! We have to save them, uu-uu!"

"Maria-chan, your room should be hidden with the spell you cast." Gohda tried to console her. "So long as they stay in there, they'll be fine."

"What if they went for a walk?! Emily-chan, go see what they're doing! See if Maria's family is okay, uuuu!"

_"I, um…I'd rather not…"_

"Emily, you're a Halfa, so if anything, they would ban you from Spirit World if they suspect you." Nolan said. "Just go to them and ask what they're doing. And… just explain you don't know what we're doing, and try not to mention Maria."

_"But I DON'T know what you're doing! Ugh…having you in my team is a real pain, Nolan."_

**Sector WITCH**

"Hey! Excuse meeeeee!" Emily called to the Angels as she flew to the treehouse. "Hey, what're you guys doing in our tree-" the Angels raised spears at her, "house?" she raised her arms up.

Emily was escorted into the treehouse garden. The statues of their friends were still in place, but Maria was nowhere in sight. If Emily remembered correctly, Maria's room becomes magically hidden if unwanted intruders are in the treehouse.

But to Emily's concern, Lord Balder was there to greet her. "Mrs. Dickson, correct? Would you mind explaining what this is?"

He stepped aside, revealing Nolan York… or rather, a hunched-over imitation of Nolan, with sharp teeth and a maniacal smirk. "Nya ha ha ha. Darkrai'll never know what hit him, it's gonna be mine, wee hee hee!"

"I…I literally have no idea." Emily replied honestly, not expecting such a creature at all.

"My Angels found this… thing within Darkrai's dreamscape, trying to steal the Lost Voice. And what a coincidence that the Voice would wind up stolen. Mr. York has defied my orders, and as a member of his sector, I hold you responsible! I demand to know where he is!"

"I don't know where he is! …I-In fact, I've been trying to call him the past few days, but he hasn't answered!"

"And what was the last conversation you had with him?"

"W-We were talking about… how to stop Skull Face's parasites." As Emily talked, one of the garden butterflies landed on her shoulder. "I mean, we know you said you would handle him, but we couldn't help but be worried. Our friends are in danger, both living and dead! Why can't you let the KND work with you? You should know that we're perfectly capable of fighting crooks like Skull Face."

"As a matter of fact, I do. The feats of you Kids Next Door are incredible, even despite that you originated from that Zathurian. But there are certain things you are better off not learning. Certain things you do not understand and are not responsible for. And the matter with the Tower of Babel is one of them."

"I wish you would just tell me so I understand why!"

"It is not your business to know! Now, back to our first topic, you're saying you have no idea where Nolan is, and you are supposedly unaffiliated with his little 'operation'?"

"No, I'm not. Frankly, I wouldn't wanna get in trouble with you guys, anyway. I'm still technically alive, you know."

"Yes, managing Halfas into our system is quite annoying. But I'd much rather you than…" Balder shook his head for a moment. "In any case, I don't entirely believe your words, but they seem to hold mostly true. I had better not catch you involving yourself with Mr. York unless you intend to turn him in."

"As you command, Your Holy Baldiness~" Emily gave a bow.

Balder scoffed at the remark. "Balder!" He turned to Sherbet, who had just flown in alongside Ciel. "Ash Landers reports that Bayonetta stole the Voice of-"

"Hush!" Balder ordered, gesturing at Emily. "You can leave now, Mrs. Dickson. Be on your way."

"Um…of course." Emily flew away, the butterfly on her shoulder fluttering in confusion for a second.

"Um, anyway…the Angels tried to pursue the witch, but she seemed to be headed directly to Dracula's castle."

"Do you mean Dracula has a hand in Skull Face's plot?!" Balder asked as the butterfly began to fly away. "Then his escape from prison was no coincidence… There is one way we may yet breach that stronghold. Send a search out for…"

The butterfly blissfully flew away from the treehouse, fluttering the great distance to Maria. The innocent creature landed on Maria's shoulder and made a little jingle. The witch recapped the discussion to her team.

"Another Voice was taken to Dracula's castle?" Nolan asked.

"Dracula?" Joker asked. "The vampire legend?"

"He's very much real. Joker, do you remember the Halloween of 2031? The incident where everyone was turned into their costumes? Dracula was behind that."

"I do remember that… Heh, I didn't expect that to come up now of all times."

"Emily-chan, did you check on Maria's family?" Maria called.

_"I have to get far away and turn intangible, so I can fly to your room. Honestly, you guys are putting too much on me."_

"Uuuu…" Maria put aside her concern and turned to the dollhouse. "Maria knows about Dracula, York-san. He was considered one of the favorite Nightmares of Darkrai I. He was built his own castle in the Uunderworld called Castlevania."

"Did you seriously just say 'Uunderworld'?" Snake asked. "Look, kid, what the heck is with the 'uuu' business? It was already annoying, but mispronouncing words just ain't cool!"

"Keep going, Maria." Nolan requested.

Maria smiled graciously at her friend. "Even though Dracula is an Uunderworld Prisoner, that castle, gifted to him by a god, would always serve as his special home. When a god grants a spirit a special privilege like that, it cannot be revoked. It's like 'tenure' for spirits, uuu. Even Davy Jones was given a special privilege by Kyogre, to help guide the souls that were lost at sea. Jones continues that duty even in his special cell in the Uunderworld."

"And Kyogre didn't revoke that privilege because he can't, or because he still has a soft spot for Jones?"

"Maria doesn't know. But Castlevania is a fortress that cannot be entered without Dracula's permission, just like how a vampire can't enter someone's home without permission. If Dracula is working for Skull Face, then his castle is a perfect place to hide the Lost Voices."

"So, we couldn't even sneak our way in?" Joker asked.

"Not if we are uninvited. …But Maria may know someway we can enter. Have you ever heard of the Belmont Family? While the Nightmare Wars were taking place, the Belmonts hunted and fought all kinds of monsters that were sent to attack Earth. They fought with Dracula numerous times."

"So did Batman, if I recall." Nolan said. "I'm guessing that took place on Superbia." _Even though that world didn't 'exist' at the time… man, that's confusing._

"So, we need to ask the help of the Belmonts?" Snake assumed. "Where do they live?"

"Maria actually met one of the Belmonts once." She smiled brightly. "In fact, Maria just mentioned her."

"You did?"

_"Maria, I found your room."_ Emily called. _"It doesn't seem like your family is inside their mansion. But it doesn't seem like anybody broke in either."_

"Maria's family is missing?! Did they all decide to go for a walk? Emily, you need to find them and tell them not to come back, I don't want them to be captured!"

"Maria-chan, wait!" Gohda spoke up, resizing outside the dollhouse. "Tell Emily to meet up with me, I'll help her search for the family. You and your friends should focus on the mission."

"Are you sure, Gohda-san? If you go, we can't eat your amazing food, uu-uu."

"I know… it is regrettable, but I must consider the safety of all the Ushiromiyas. You can leave this to me, Maria-chan. Put your faith in Gohda!"

"Mmm…" Maria cracked a small, grateful smile. "Okay. Maria-chan wishes Gohda-san luck." And she raised her scepter and gently tapped him. "Uu!"

"Ha ha! …" Gohda turned to be on his way. …The butler frowned and bit his lip in a nervous manner.

"I guess we'll leave Emily to that." Nolan figured. "So, where are we headed, Maria?"

**Gates of Heaven**

Dimentia had returned to searching for Sylistys' signature. She felt a tad more at ease with Leic's butterflies covering and fluttering around her. "Do you like butterflies, Dimentia?"

"I guess they're pretty, but I never really thought about them that much. You must collect them for a hobby, I bet."

"Yeah, I do! I like it when they fly around my room. Sometimes, they tickle me when I'm laying in bed~"

"Doesn't that make it hard to sleep?"

"No, I still sleep. But my dreams are filled with tickles!"

Dimentia giggled at that. Plex felt the need to remind her not to be distracted, but thought it might be pointless all the same. "Miss Winkiebottom?"

They turned as an Angel had just flown in from the gate. "Mr. Landers!" Leic beamed. "Dimentia, this is my mentor! He's the one who gave me my status."

"And what would you be doing with my student?" Ash asked.

"Um…Leic is helping me with my mission. He asked to help, so I allowed him."

"I don't think Lord Balder would approve of that. Fighting the Daemonis should be the responsibility of the Phoenios, not a sweet young angel as Leic."

"But Mr. Landers, I fight evil spirits all the time." Leic replied with a cute frown, twisting his foot on the grass. "And I haven't been a burden, have I?"

"Of course not, you've been very helpful." Dimentia assured.

"Leic, the Daemonis are outsiders and are thus the responsibility of outsiders. You are burdened enough with both spiritual and mortal enemies, so do not let these invaders trouble you."

"W-Wait a second." Dimentia stood to full height. "You're right that the Daemonis should be the Phoenios' responsibility, but isn't the protection of this universe the KND's responsibility? Didn't the KND just fight some of the most dangerous outsiders of all time?"

"Are you saying you intend to push your responsibility onto the KND?"

"I'm saying that the KND are strong and capable of defending this universe from invaders. Even Tanzy needed my help back then. I didn't want to trouble anyone else with this mission, but since Leic came to me, I felt like… maybe it was Fate at work. …And besides, Sylistys doesn't feel all that strong. She keeps running away from us, so we're bound to stop her once we have her cornered."

"Hmm…I'm not saying you're wrong in that regard. It's just… souls like Leic's are very rare." Ash approached the child and knelt to his level. "His heart is so clean… so precious… that I fear the effects that war and dark spirits could have on him, let alone those outsider demons…" He gently patted Leic's hair, stroked his cheek, and pinched the soft skin under his chin.

"Tehehe!" Leic giggled from the affection. Dimentia merely looked at this with an uncomfortable expression.

Ash stood to face Dimentia again. "In any case… it's not that I disapprove of you, but it's mostly for Balder's sake. He would feel the same way about one of our children helping you."

"I feel terrible for what I did to him."

"I'm sure you do, but it isn't just you he has a problem with. Lord Balder-"

"Dimentia!" Plex shouted. "Do you feel that?!"

Dimentia flinched to attention and began focusing. She gasped with surprise and terror. _It can't be! Along with Sylistys, I feel… another one?! And this aura… it feels just like…_

"Is there a problem?" Ash asked.

Dimentia cleared her throat, "Ahem. We just found her. Leic, can you Descend us down to Mechanos?"

"Uh-huh!" Leic climbed onto her shoulders once more as they warped.

"Hmm…are you quite certain they aren't that strong?" Ash wondered.

**Underworld underground, some time ago…**

Sylistys had returned to her hideout, a deep, dark cavern in the Underworld. She lifted a large rock and uncovered a secret stash of bottles, containing elemental spirits. She opened two containing a Fire and Earth Spirit, proceeding to drink. They weren't as sustaining as full benders, but were enough to suffice.

"Not really what I'd choose for a secret bunker."

Sylistys gasped with a start at the seductive voice. She turned as a woman stepped out from the shadow of the corner. She had posh black hair with bright blue highlights underneath, dark-blue horns, and a black shirt with gold buttons and rims. Sylistys didn't know who she was exactly, but she knew she was a Daemonis. "Did my masters send you?"

"I came of my own accord. Call me Varcrutis." She approached the bonebender and stroked her hair with a sharp, black-gloved finger. "My, what happened to your eye? Did Dimentia do that? She should be visiting too, shouldn't she? Did she give you too much trouble?"

"…" Sylistys hesitated to respond. The first time, she chose to retreat because of the group of strong kids who were about to arrive alongside her. But the second time… she wouldn't want to admit the truth behind her wounded eye. "She's a little stronger than I imagined her to be. I feared if I used too much power, then others would be able to track my signature and make things more difficult."

"But that's exactly why we made you. We may have tweaked your aura, but you're still a denizen of this universe. That's why you're in the right to raise some havoc on this place. Besides, it's not like these gods would do anything to stop you." Varcrutis turned away, frowning and glaring. "That Dialga… he really pisses me off. During the heat of that space battle with Skaios, I decided to pop open the tiniest rift in space and sneak in. There were probably so many distortions that I thought no one would notice. Despite that, it seems the gods were still alerted to my arrival… and you know what he said to me?"

_Varcrutis quietly peeped out from behind a rock on the Avatar Realms. While a chaotic battle took place in the distance, she tip-toed like a cartoon spy, a conniving grin on her features._

_"Hello there!"_

_"AAH!" Var was totally blindsided when Dialga exploded out of time._

_"I can see that you're a visitor! Not only that, you seem to fall under the 'Deities or High-Ranking Spirits' category, which also includes demons."_

_"I-I wasn't doing anything wrong!" Var spoke with a bubbly smile, morphing her body to a chibi state. "I was just out for a walk, la la la~"_

_"…" Dialga stared at her for a moment. "That's all good, then! However, I am inclined to lay a few ground rules." At that instant, a bulky blue book labeled 'Laws of the Universe' crashed before her. "You are forbidden from interfering with mortal affairs, including business meetings, political gatherings, quests, and even presenting yourself in public areas is not recommended without the proper permission from either gods or mortals who request you. Naturally, attacking denizens of this universe is strictly forbidden, but you have a right to defend yourself from any who attack you. Many of these rules generally apply to us as well. I'll trust you to read the others, but so long as you follow them, feel free to have a good time!"_

_Varcrutis grit her teeth in confusion: the God of Time felt a bit more lax than she imagined. "You do know who I am, right? You really expect me to follow these rules?!"_

_"But of course I know you, Miss Depraritas. And maybe I know what you're going to do. Regardless, it won't be my duty to stop you. Enjoy yourself!" And he vanished through another time warp._

"That cocky bastard, acting like I'm not a threat." Varcrutis raised a finger to Sylistys' throat, glaring directly in her eye. Her teeth bore the sharpness of an orca's. "He KNOWS I woulda trashed the _Noah_! I woulda had those brats, if not for Golden Child swinging his Master Pencil around the place! Not to mention there was a freakin' Inviere on the boat, you know who I mean!"

"Sounds like some pretty rotten luck."

"I tell ya, The Thirteen were probably our one good chance to reap this universe for all it has, but now that the gods are in charge again, it'll be a miracle if we can get anything out of this place. Luckily, I think we have a place to start." Varcrutis whipped out a business card between her fingers from her collar.

Sylistys took the card. "Eggman Empire?" There was a logo resembling a round, grinning face with a spiked mustache.

"Yep! My first choice was Giovanni, since he was affiliated with The Thirteen, but he was busy with other matters, so he redirected me to Eggman. Apparently, the dude's a specialist at catching and harnessing ancient creatures, so we could come to an agreement. Maybe I'll trade him some weapons, knock a few heads for him, and he'll give me some juicy goods in return. It's a place to start, right? Heck, he might even have a nice snack for you. Whaddya say we go together?" She put an arm around the bonebender.

"Do you need me to protect you from Dimentia?"

"Ha ha ha ha!" Varcrutis smacked Sy's back. "Dimentia couldn't take me if she tried! I'm just worried if she'll contact backup… Looks like we'll have to be quick about this interview. On the bright side, Mechanos has a mostly robotic population, not what you'd call 'mortal,' right?"

"Would a population like that have actual organic bones?"

"Ohhhhh, shoot." Var face-palmed. "You're not a metalbender, are you? Heh, 'guess Pyronem was right to prepare this for you." She withdrew a small marble.

**Spirit World; a flower field**

"Hm hm hmm, hm hmmm~" A girl hummed a merry song as she picked a handful of flowers. She wove them into a crown and placed them on the head of an innocent green dragon. "Here, Seiryuu. You love yellow flowers, don't you?"

"Roar, ruuuu." The dragon moaned with a smile.

"Hahaha! Now each of you have crowns!" she announced with a bubbly smile. A small white tiger, a blue turtle, and a vermillion bird each had their own crowns.

The girl wore a long, flowing pink dress, red boots underneath, and a red bow on her wavy golden hair. Her blue eyes were wide and expressive.

Sandman and co. were following Maria across the pleasant flower field. There appeared to be a house in the distance, and they noticed the girl after crossing a hill. "There she is!" Maria pointed, racing across the flowers. "Mariaaaaa! Maria, it's me!"

The girl heard the distant call and turned. She recognized the crowned witch. "Mariaaaaa!" The 12-year-old ran to meet the younger child in a hug.

Maria's teammates caught up as they both faced the men. "York-san and friends, this is Maria's friend, Maria Renard! She's a relative of the Belmonts!"

"We'll just call you Renard to avoid confusion." Nolan decided.

"Gosh, Maria. Why did you bring these scary people to my house?"

"Renard, do you remember when you told me about Dracula and Castlevania?"

"Of course I do."

"Dracula took something important from Maria's friends. We need a way to get into his castle, but we don't think Dracula will invite us."

"Hmm…it's quite funny that you came to me about this. Because an invitation came to me just this morning."

"Don't tell me it was from Dracula!" Nolan exclaimed.

"But it was. Oh, but it wasn't for me!" She waved hands in defense. "Heheh, Dracula would never invite me to his castle! The invitation… was for Alucard. Would you like to meet him?"

"Sure… Don't see why not." Snake shrugged.

Renard led them to a small building across the field, a stairwell that led underground. At the bottom, she knocked on a stone door. "Alucard? There are guests here to see you."

"And who might they be?" a voice spoke from within.

"They seem like nice people, even if they look scary. But that's just like you!"

"Hmph… very well then."

Renard opened the door to a rather dim room with an antique rug and furniture. A man was lain in a coffin, wearing black attire with gold rims, and a cape that was silver underneath. He had pale skin, whitish-blond hair, and sharp gold eyes. "Alucard, don't nap in your heavy clothes! You won't get comfortable!"

"Renard, who is this man?" Nolan asked.

"This is Alucard, Dracula's first son."

"S-Son?!"

"Not a fan of my father, I take it?" Alucard rose up from the coffin. "He's made his share of enemies. Including Abraham Lincoln at one point. What do you expect from a man who targets any woman that wears black?"

"When I was alive, he targeted my wife once, so no, I'm not a fan."

"Dracula tried to take your wife?" Joker asked.

"Yeah, but I put him back to rest."

"Thank goodness, because I wasn't looking forward to another sibling." Alucard remarked, stepping off the coffin. "I'm sure they were invited to this party as well." He picked up an envelope from the table. "The umpteenth-hundredth bride of Count Dracula. I wonder how Mavis is doing with the hotel? Last I heard, she was trying to compete with King Boo for the greatest hotel."

"The Fairy Princess?"

"No, silly, that Mavis existed before Dracula!" Maria corrected.

"Whatever, this is just a wiki editor's nightmare at this point."

"Alucard, these men want to get into Castlevania." Renard explained. "As Dracula's son, you have the power to invite them in. And you have an invitation anyway, so he'll be expecting you."

"I've grown quite tired of Father's parties. All of his would-be wives have been thrown aside and this 'Kyla' will soon meet the same fate."

"But Alucard-"

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Nolan suddenly bellowed.

Alucard cocked a brow at his outburst. "…My father's betrothed, Kyla York, will end up like-"

The Sandman SNATCHED the invitation and looked it over. _You are invited to witness the union of Count Dracula and Kyla York_ was the line he was especially glued to.

". . . How did Dracula… get his filthy hands on MY MOTHER?!"

Alucard narrowed his eyes. "It seems I will have to reconsider. Well then… shall we get dressed for the party?"

"Damn right we will."

"Oh, dear… I hope they allow children." Renard shifted sheepishly. "If they don't, I guess I'll have to act my age." And with that, she grew to become an 18-year-old woman in a green dress. "But only a little bit." She spoke in a mature voice.

"WAIT, HOW OLD ARE YOU?!" The others' eyes popped out from the sudden change.

"Ahem, at any rate… we'll be counting on you." Nolan said to Alucard.

"You have my word." Alucard swiftly drew a thin, clean sword. "So long as I have yours."

* * *

**Although the Dracula here resembles the version from _Batman_, his uniform and past have been adjusted to resemble the _Castlevania_ Dracula! Alucard and Renard come from said series. Varcrutis is another one of Sarstar's characters, first appearing in the _Turning Point_ comic! Angella is from _She-Ra_, and Ash Landers/Angela is from _Black Butler_. And Amalthus is from—oh, hang on a sec.**

…

"-aaaaaaAAAAHH!"

Amalthus crashed through the ceiling of an underground cavern. "Huff…that's it…" The priest pushed himself up, brushing the dust off. "I'm issuing a decree to have every hole in both Spirit and Underworld filled!"

He hadn't noticed Varcrutis and Sylistys behind him. Before he could discover their hideout, Var crouched, stretched an arm, and pulled open a rift from below Amalthus. "WAAAH!" The man fell in. "AAAA_AAAAHHHH…!"_

Var released as the hole snapped shut. "Well, we better get going!" she said to Sy with a grin.


	8. What a Horrible Night to Have a Ball

**When I was a kid, I thought it was pronounced "bandpire." :3**

* * *

**_Chapter 8: What a Horrible Night to Have a Ball_**

**Underworld**

Two Angel guards were stationed by the Gates of Heaven. Snake locked on the left one and shot his head with a Pacifier Bullet, while Joker snuck up to the right one and Silent KO'ed him at the same time. Afterwards, they returned to the dollhouse. Maria fit her carriage into the house's garage, while Alucard became a bat to carry the house down to the Underworld. He landed a good distance from the castle, then went into the dollhouse as Maria came back out. She dressed like a little witch with a green face and long chin, and she magically changed the carriage to a darker form with a flaming black rocking horse.

Inside, the men treated their selves to food Gohda had left over. "If we're going to a party anyway, shouldn't we save our appetites?" Snake asked.

"I doubt you'll find my father's menu to be very appetizing." Alucard replied.

"A lot of blood-related items, I'm assuming?" Joker asked. "At least you'll stay full."

"Hardly. I don't like the taste of blood; and besides, I promised my mother…"

"Promised not to hurt people?"

"Yes. My mother was captured and persecuted by humans because she was involved with Dracula. They were going to have her executed, but I fought the humans in my mission to rescue her. Alas… Lisa accepted her fate and wanted me to allow the mob to kill her. Her parting words were…"

_"Do not hate humans. If you cannot live with them, then at least do them no harm, for theirs is already a hard lot."_

"…and that she would love Father for eternity."

"Sounds like something you'd hear in a Shakespearean play." Snake replied. "Too bad Dracula went to screw with other women, huh?"

"Father mourned her for a time, but he was quick to find someone else. After a while, he forgot about her entirely. During the Nightmare Wars, I assisted the Belmont Clan whenever my father returned, until one day, I took my final rest."

"And now he lives in my storehouse!" Renard cheered, once again in her child form.

"Seriously, how old are you?" Sandman asked.

"Putting myself aside," Alucard began, "this is quite the strange group we have. An adult working for the KND, a former soldier, a high-schooler… and a young witch who feels a bit more colorful than your party."

"Come to think of it," Joker followed, "I became involved in this mission rather suddenly and I feel like I don't know anything about any of you."

"Yeah, we're all just getting sucked into this without warning." Snake remarked. "I guess I'll start. Have you all ever heard of Big Boss? He was a legendary soldier who served GUN way back in the day. He had so much talent and loyalty that GUN feared they'd never be able to find another like him. …So, that's why they had him cloned. And I was one of them."

"Does that mean there's more of you?"

"Not anymore. I was the last of the Snake line. And honestly, that's probably for the best."

"I heard that clones are less stable and strong than the people they're copied from." Nolan replied. "In fact, before I died, I met a girl who was the subject of a cloning project. Her clones were being successively killed off while the remaining ones would inherit the 'battle data' or something. Part of some project to breed a powerful metahuman… not to go off-topic."

"Yeah, people make all kinds of experiments with cloning. But what they did for me is imbed my DNA into an egg and impregnate my would-be mother. A natural birth would ensure me a healthier, stronger life. That was before the new heads of GUN developed mixed feelings with the project, so they injected us with a medicine that would speed up our aging…"

"That's just awful." Joker replied. "You were bred to serve them and betrayed on an impulse."

"Yeah… I reckon that's what sparked my need to help the metahumans. Sigh…"

"My story's not so special… but it is rather complicated." Joker chuckled. "I took a wrong turn home one night and caught this man trying to force himself on a woman. Don't ask me why, but I couldn't bear to just ignore it… so, I attacked him."

"I probably would've strung him up by the neck." Alucard inputted.

"That… would've made things a tad worse for me. I wound up on probation and my parents sent me off to a new town. From there, it gets a lot more crazy: everyone was basically an asshole at my new school, though I managed to make some friends… then suddenly, that night, I dream about a monster cat who has the ability to enter dreams, he takes my slumbering soul to the Spirit World, etcetera etcetera, now we're Phantom Thieves who steal from peoples' dream worlds, and our new school feels less assholish."

"That story was so crazy that it flew by in an instant."

"It's too hard to tell such a long story in a casual conversation." Nolan replied. "Luckily, the KND should've documented my story, so I don't have to tell it. And as for Maria out there, her death came pretty suddenly: her whole family died in a freak explosion."

"At such a young age?" Alucard asked. "Her poor soul must have been tormented by such a sudden happening."

"That Gohda man just left to go find her family, didn't he?" Joker asked.

"Yeah, her family lives in one of the dollhouses, but I haven't met them. I assume Emily knows who they are, so she can help Gohda find them. That being said, Maria seems to imply she knew her own death was coming, so she wasn't particularly 'upset' by it. I wouldn't know if she's lying…"

"Alucard-san? We're there." Maria called.

They looked out the window, seeing an imposing, Gothic castle situated on a cliff above the Sanzu River. The connecting landscape was rather rocky and rugged. Maria stopped the carriage before an old gate with an arch displaying the castle's name. There was a foggy, wavy barrier above the gate. Alucard stepped up to the gate, then turned to face his comrades. "I, Adrian Fahrenheit Ţepeş, heir to the Dracula name, grant thee permission into my home!"

The barrier seemed to disappear, so the group was able to pass the gate. "So, that's your real name." Sandman said. "In fact… 'Alucard' is 'Dracula' spelled backwards. Heh, what if we ran into your Negatives? Do vampires have those?"

"Nightmares have Dream Spirits as opposites while demons have natural spirits as such. Vampires are a mix of Nightmare and demon, so… make of that what you will." Alucard shrugged. "Anyway, Father has a collection of Nightmares protecting the castle and these grounds. We'll have to fight our way through them."

"Joker, Snake, try to go along the cliffside and find a way in from underneath." Sandman ordered. "Alucard and I will go from the front. We don't exactly plan to use the entrance because they'll probably ask for our identities, but I suspect Dracula is expecting us. …Call it a hunch, but he did kidnap my mother."

"It's quite rude that you didn't receive an invitation." Joker remarked.

"Having two parties sneak in from different entrances will give us a greater chance at surprise. So, let's move. Our targets are not only the Lost Voice, but Dracula's so-called 'fiancée.' Once you're there, change into your 'party costumes' so you'll be able to blend in with the crowd."

"Don't keep me waiting, kid." Snake said to Joker as they Flash Stepped their way up some rocks. Sandman and Alucard shared a look before proceeding. (Play "Bloody Tears" from _Castlevania II_!)

_Stage 4: Castlevania_

_Mission: Rescue Kyla York and recover the Lost Voice._

The men raced through a valley in which Stalfos were patrolling. The skeletons slashed beams from their swords, Alucard nimbly dodging and slashing them with his blade. A Stalfos raised its shield against Nolan's sword, but enough strong blows disarmed the shield, then Nolan threw it into another Stalfos before running to slash it up. They crossed to a ledge over the Sanzu, using Flash Steps to jump small platforms sticking up from the river. Medusa Heads swooped around the platforms, and should they touch the adults, they would be petrified for a short time. The two slashed them out of the air before that could happen.

They landed on a path along the surface of the river. Several skull-shaped bubbles took form and flew at the men; even though they were quickly mowed down by their swords, hordes of them kept rising. They jumped to a right path while slicing the Water Ghosts, and the task became trickier as they jumped sinking skull platforms. A large Pols Voice was blocking the next path, but Alucard became a bat and used sonar to deafen the creature. He then slayed the beast, allowing Sandman to leap over as well. The following road seemed rather wide and straight, but it left plenty of room for skeletons riding Stalcycles.

The Stalcycles tried to run the intruders over, but Sandman's Line Launcher aided in kicking the corpses off. He stayed aboveground and redirected to kick all the Stalfos off, leaving Alucard to pummel them afterward. Nothing else seemed to obstruct the end of the path—until the heads of a huge, black Cerberus emerged from the ground. They gnashed their giant teeth, but Sandman molded a Smoke Bomb, and Alucard contributed his own chi to make it poison. They threw it to stun the three-headed dog, and were otherwise merciless in slicing them to pieces. The severed necks of the Cerberus crashed on the ground before sinking back in the hole.

They jumped over the hole and entered a graveyard. Zombies rose from the soft soil, and merely slicing them up wouldn't fell the creatures as they would reform slowly. Only by cleanly destroying the heads would the zombies stay down. A dark barrier blocked the exit of the graveyard, but Alucard pushed one of the graves open to reveal a switch. The switch disabled the barrier, leading into a hedge maze. Alucard tried to fly above the maze as a bat, but a distant, giant Bone Pillar shot a laser to prevent this.

_"Sandman, this is Joker. Judging by that laser, are you in the maze?"_

"Yes." Sandman responded.

_"We can see it from where we are. Try to follow this path:"_

They took a right turn, a left, right, straight, left, around a rounded path, then followed a left-right, stair-like path before following a long right path, eventually reaching the end of the maze. Sandman and Alucard chopped down the dinosaur heads that composed the Bone Pillar. They entered a wide, rounded garden guarded by a Frankenstein with a chainsaw. Alucard jumped to grab the chainsaw arm, leaving Nolan to pummel the beast's stomach with rapid Haki Fists. Frankenstein shook free and slashed spinning energy blades from his saw, the two blocking with their swords. Alucard seized the arm again as Nolan lay the next round of punches. Both leapt away from Frankenstein, but after a five second delay, he would collapse on his front.

A gate of diagonal-crossed bars blocked the way, but Alucard morphed into mist and phased through. He slayed a werewolf briefly before pressing a switch to open the gate. They returned to a rugged road, which became narrow as guillotines were rising up and down. The guillotines were set on the edges of segmented paths that staired upward, the two having to jump them carefully. Past the guillotines, they were very close to the castle. It seemed that some guests were walking by up ahead, so the men crouched and crawled up quietly. They stayed behind a rock, watching the guests approach the front gate to the castle.

"Dracula sure has a lot of guests." Nolan commented.

"He's quite popular, in case you weren't familiar. Between mortals and spirits, there have been countless movies and media about him. Among the spirits you see here, they are divided between followers of Dracula, brokers who deal with Dracula, some in-laws here or there, with the occasional conspiracy theorist that Dracula allows to take pictures of him, only to laugh as they cannot get a picture of him."

_"Sandman, this is Snake. We've infiltrated the castle."_

"Good work. …Alucard, let's go over that arch." Toward the right, where the crowd was coming from, there was a natural stone arch. They found a narrow path in-between the stalagmites, then could Flash Step along the tips. They crossed the arch over the crowd, then followed a path between the stalagmites to the right of the castle. They dropped below the right of the entrance path, jumping some platforms to get under one of the castle towers. Sandman shot his grappling hook up to one of the thin ledges of the tower, then grappled to a window. (End song.)

Sandman hung onto the sill while Alucard flew up as a bat, landing on the top of the sill to hang upside-down. They peered into a room filled with jars and vaults of candy. A white werewolf in a butler uniform opened a vault and pulled out a Jolly Rancher shaped like a woman in a dress. "Well, Harry, I think you deserve a treat for your hard work!" the werewolf said to himself as he took a bite of the arm. "Not many appreciate the classic taste of a Jolly Sorbetes."

Alucard reverted to normal as they climbed into the room. "Pardon me."

"GYAAH!" Harry jumped around, hiding the candy. "I wasn't eating on the job, I… Wait, where did you come from?"

"Look deeply into my eyes…" Alucard stared at him closely with hypnotic irises.

"Is this how you greet every new person?" Harry raised a brow in confusion.

"Let yourself fall into a deep sleep…"

"I couldn't sleep when the party's just getting started! Have you seen all the candy down there?!"

"I said… _sleep_…"

"You have quite the lack of social skills. You cannot just barge into a stranger's home and order them…" Harry bowed his head and fell asleep standing.

As Alucard moved him behind a wardrobe, Nolan couldn't help but feel the werewolf looked familiar. "You had best change." Alucard requested, stepping outside. Nolan proceeded to change into a whitish-blue, pajama-wizard costume with a bearded mask. He exited the room, rejoining Alucard as they walked down a flight of stone stairs. They hid behind a doorway, seeing some skeleton guards walk by. The men would sneak in the direction they came from.

"Look, Claude, you don't have to 'chaperone' me 24/7, I know my way around the castle!" They could hear a woman's voice from around the hall.

"I am under your father's orders to protect you from intruders." When they looked around the corner, it seemed that a slender girl with short black hair and black clothes with red-striped stockings was arguing with a Black Butler.

"Can I at least just use the bathroom in peace?! Go back to the party and prepare a Bloody Mary or something!"

"As you wish, My Lady." Claude turned and calmly walked down the hall.

The woman sighed to herself, preparing to enter the bathroom. "MMMPH-!" A hand cupped over her mouth the second she turned.

"Shhh." hushed Alucard.

"Mmm…?" The hand lowered from her mouth. "Alucard?"

"Hello, Mavis. How is the hotel business?"

"It's… good? I didn't think you were coming."

"We're on semi-official business."

Mavis looked left as Sandman approached them. "Where's Dracula? He's forcing my mother into marrying him."

"Your… mother? Oh, I see…" Mavis sighed with disappointment. "I'll lead you to the ballroom, but I don't wanna get too involved in whatever you're doing. Just watch out for Claude; he's a butler my dad assigned to watch me." She turned and began to walk, the men following cautiously.

The ballroom was full of costumed couples dancing. After they arrived, Sandman and Alucard broke apart from Mavis to blend in with the crowd. "Your sister runs a hotel, huh?"

"Yes, in Transylvania. It's a good retreat for monsters who want to get out of the Underworld or Nightmare Land once in a while. She was mostly inspired by Charlie's Heaven's Hotel."

"Do they know each other?"

"Of course, they're good friends. And they both have equally less-than-reputable fathers."

"That makes sense. Speaking of, I can see them now."

Dracula was dancing with the velvet-wearing woman in the sad-eyed mask. They were on the center altar with the throne. "Her hair looks like my mom's… It must really be her. But how did Dracula know who she was, or where to find her?"

"If one of the Lost Voices was brought here, Dracula must have an alliance with Skull Face. Perhaps he is the one responsible."

"That still doesn't explain how…"

_"Sandman, Alucard, we've made it to the ballroom. Or rather… we're above it."_

Nolan glanced upward. There were some balconies near the ceiling with a few guests, Joker and Snake among them: Joker was dressed like the Joker from Batman, and Snake was dressed like Jafar, except with a cobra mask. "I assume that's your mother, but there's no sign of the Voice." Joker said.

"What's the plan to separate them?" Snake asked. "…Uh-oh, they're joining in the crowd!" Dracula and Kyla leapt off the altar, twirling amongst the sea of colorful costumes.

"Alucard, let's separate, we'll stay in contact with our coms." Nolan ordered. Alucard nodded as both danced to separate directions. "Joker, keep your eyes on them. Snake, search around the ballroom and study the guards and servants. Be ready to pick them off if the situation calls. Maria, make sure Renard is ready in the Soulmobile. We'll need a quick getaway when the time comes."

_"Hai! I'll let her know as soon as you send the signal!"_

Alucard viewed around the party as he danced his way to the betrothed couple. Over at one table, he recognized Count Conkula, a vampire Mobian squirrel from Avalar; he was talking with an acquaintance of his known as Panther King, a former ally of Gruntilda who once ruled the Panther Kingdom. There was a stage where Ernesto de la Cruz was giving a performance on his guitar; he was a famous Mexican musician with a handsome face and white clothes with a sombrero; even as a skeleton, he still had quite the charm with the ladies.

Alucard recognized one of his half-brothers, Dick, an African-American human who had become fairly old in the last couple decades. Despite this, he and his wife, a mummy named Judy, seemed to be happily dancing, while their son, Irwin, although he seemed like a mature adult, was quivering in the presence of all these monsters.

"Why, hello, handsome~" Alucard was suddenly seized by a tall guest dressed in orange, mechanical armor with a green visor; she resembled Samus from _Metroid_.

"Er, pardon me, Madame!" Alucard struggled to pull free.

"You are Alucard, are you not? I couldn't possibly miss the chance to dance with Dracula's handsome son. Clear the floor, people! This next dance is for us!"

The party-goers gave them a wide berth as the armored woman pulled Alucard into a dance, seemingly giving him no say in the matter. "Vhy, if it isn't Alucard!" Dracula beamed, he and his fiancé stopping. "I did not think you vould come! Come, dearest, let us share the floor vith them~" He took Kyla's hand and danced onto the open floor. (Play "Thieving Magpie" from _Arkham Origins_!)

"Well, there's no hiding them now." Joker said. "But how will we save her with everyone watching?"

"Alucard, see if you can do a partner swap." Nolan instructed via coms. "Joker, when he has her, drop down and seize her. Snake, do you have the Garlic Bullets ready?"

Snake grabbed an ammo box from a pouch, inserting it into his sniper. "I do now."

"Shoot Dracula as soon as Joker has my mom, and I'll be ready for a follow-up attack. There'll be no avoiding a battle at this point."

Alucard sharpened his gaze on the Samus woman, taking a more firm grip onto her and taking control of the dance. "See if you can keep up with this, Father!" He jumped and whooshed his legs in the air, flipping over his partner, but 'Samus' was ready to change direction. She dropped and did a breakdance, suspending Alucard directly above her and spinning him like a propeller. Alucard was set firmly on his feet, hauling 'Samus' into the air and sending her toward Dracula. With a swift motion, to keep up with his son, he whirled Kyla over to Alucard and seized the 'Samus' woman.

Joker attached two Soul Ropes onto a chandelier, acting as a circus performer as he swung to-and-fro above the party. The guests thought him to be a clown adding flare to the party. Joker had his sights set on Kyla as Alucard spun her by the tips of her fingers and toes. The half-vampire glanced up at Joker, stopping Kyla to spin around her next, and was about to toss her up at the Phantom Thief—

"Mind if we cut in?" Dick and his wife, Judy danced onto the floor, the half-brother stealing Kyla as Alucard was given the mummy wife. Judy moaned in a swooning fashion, much to Alucard's displeasure. The mummy felt very lightweight, so he was cautious in handling her. Regardless, this was an unwanted interference, so when Joker swung by again, he tossed Judy straight up at him. Joker seized the mummy by the arms, but halfway up the height of his swing, Judy's body detached and flew into the crowd. "Uh-oh! Don't worry, I can fix that!" Dick said, quickly running after her.

Joker tossed the arms their direction and did a flip to make new Soul Ropes, changing position to regain focus. Alucard and Dracula switched dancers again, this time with the Vampire Lord propping Kyla on his shoulders with her hands. Alucard's partner got in the same position, then the son performed a leap, landing 'Samus' on her feet while he was now suspended on her shoulders. He did an "arm dance" on the tall woman's shoulder pads, so Dracula replicated this technique with Kyla. Alucard pushed off and away from his partner with such force that he flew across the air, and Dracula did the same as both crossed each other with opposite arcs.

They landed on the opposite woman, both men setting foot and lifting them again. The women were suspended upside-down against the palms of the men's hands, being juggled one hand after the other. When Joker made his next swing, he was compelled to grab 'Samus' by the legs. "You must be disappointed I didn't wear the Peach costume, darling~" 'Samus' winked at the high-schooler, creeping Joker out. Joker swung to the incoming balcony and released the woman as she did a flip.

He returned back down to take Kyla away from Alucard. At that instant, Alucard danced to his father and grabbed his left arm, and Sandman danced out to grab the other—with him held in place, Snake took the shot.

The 'Samus' woman slowed down time and leapt down to the dance floor, running to intercept the garlic bullet with her sword. Time resumed, the guests gasping as the bullet bounced off. She turned to slash her blade against Sandman, slicing off his bearded mask. Alucard drew his sword and tried to stab Dracula, but 'Samus' yanked him away and clashed with him instead. Their swords rang, but Alucard became mist to let her blade cut through. He changed back and sliced her visor with enough strength to break it, exposing Bayonetta's face underneath.

"Bayonetta!" Sandman exclaimed. The Umbra Witch conjured two giant Demon Arms and grasped himself and Alucard, binding them in the air. Once on the balcony, Joker tore the mask off Kyla's face, a burst of magic flying out as she fell unconscious. (End song.)

"Nolan York!" Dracula hissed. "So, you found your vay here after all, you wretched man!"

Sandman and Alucard sliced free of the arm, striking at Bayonetta as Dracula returned to his throne. Upstairs, Joker was ambushed by the Black Butler, Claude Faustus, summoning Arsene to counter his strength, while Snake ran to grab Claude's arms from behind.

"Dracula, how did you learn who my mother was?! How did you get her?!"

"It vas all thanks to Skull Face." Dracula took his seat and gestured one of the zombie servants to bring him a glass of blood. "He vanted to use my castle as a safe haven for the Lost Voices. As an act of good will, he delivered to me your mother."

"But that only could've happened after the attack on Heaven's Hotel!"

"Correct you are, Sandman." replied Bayonetta. "We had already done research on you outdated operatives in case you tried to oppose us. When we heard you were on unfriendly terms with Dracula, Valentine summoned a copy of you and had him return to Heaven's Hotel. There, he was able to recognize and lure out your mother. All it took then was knocking her out, dragging her to Dracula, and slapping a hypnotic mask on her."

"Honestly, Sandman, you really mustn't make so many enemies." Dracula smirked. "You can hardly manage them all. Especially vhen they start to plot together."

"Damn you!" Sandman tangled Bayonetta in energy ropes and stomped up to the lord alongside Alucard. "Why were scum like Skull Face and his cronies even allowed in Spirit World?! How could the Judgment System fail to pick up on their evil?!"

"Vhat is a man?!" Dracula threw his glass of blood at Sandman, who ducked reactively. "A miserable little pile of secrets! Even your Judgment System cannot tell a good spirit from bad! How can you tell when a man lives an honest life, merely hoping to secure a place in Heaven in order to fulfill dark deeds of his own? The Judgment System weighs your actions in life with your own personal feelings, searching for lies or regrets in your heart, and as a whole, it can only punish the most heinous of criminals! But a man who lives an honest life, even with a dark heart, is very commonplace in this universe. That is why so many Hollows are born even in Spirit World!"

"That may be true," replied Alucard, "but one thing that is certain is that your heart is far too corrupted for the Spirit World, and you have no right to drag down an honest woman such as Mrs. York! Now, have at you, Father!" He raced up on the altar and engaged Dracula in a duel of swords.

Bayonetta sent Demon Arms at Sandman, the man channeling Haki to his sword to block their flurry of titanic punches. The arms vanished as Bayonetta flipped behind to kick him, but even as he grabbed her ankle, Bayo shot bullets from the other heel at his gut. Sandman released, allowing Bayo to kick him away. She ran and began to rapidly slash her blades, Sandman blocking them with equal speed. "Honestly, Sandman, why should you care if your mother wants to date other men? You grew independent from her a long time ago, so can't you let her begin anew?"

"Like hell I'm going to let Dracula take her, even if she was in her free will!"

"Then I guess you're just selfish!" Bayonetta stomped him under a Demon Heel, but he mustered the strength to push up against it.

"I only do what my heart tells me. Even if I end up being wrong, I feel like I won't get anywhere by ignoring my feelings. I believe finding the Lost Voices can bring an end to Skull Face's parasites, so I will find them. But more than that, I refuse to let Mom become Dracula's wife out of his petty grudge against me!"

_"You always were like that, weren't you? Amongst your many incarnations… You had differing qualities, yet were unified by the same heart."_

"What? Who said that?!"

"You're the one who spoke." Bayonetta remarked. "What, have you forgotten the sound of your own voice?"

_"How long do you plan to keep me waiting? I've been dying to see it again… the unwavering Justice in your heart."_

Nolan's Zanpakutō began glowing with a light-purple mist. "It…It's you… Yes… now I'm certain… I know who you are!"

With a powerful thrust of energy, Nolan raised his sword skyward and called, "Awaken me, Morpheus!"

A spirit garbed in a black robe appeared from the blade, wearing a gas mask with a tube in the mouth. "He awakened his Zanpakutō!" Joker exclaimed.

_"Your righteous spirit exists in many corresponding universes. I stand with them as I do you, and grant you their power."_ Morpheus' tube attached to Sandman's back, pumping him with chi. (Play "Dance of Illusions" from _Symphony of the Night_!)

"I…I understand…!" Nolan had a dream once: a dream where he had spoken with another self of his. Another Nolan from a despairing world in which the KND was dying. Somehow… he could feel that Nolan's heart inside his own, along with the hearts of other Nolans. "Then let's even out the playing field!"

_Boss fight: Bayonetta and Dracula_

Bayonetta summoned Demon Snakes to gnash Nolan from either side, but Morpheus grabbed the snakes and forced gas up their throats, dispersing the beasts. He clashed blades with Bayonetta before quickly binding her in energy chains. Bayo opened a portal above Nolan as four Demon Hands emerged to claw at him, and as she slashed the arms powerfully, Bayo was able to escape the chains. She propped herself on her hands and shot heel guns, but Nolan's body became sand as the bullets flew straight through. He danced to her and threw a kick, which Bayo grabbed, but he swiftly formed a rope around the hand and his leg, swinging it in an arch to slam her into the ground.

Dracula became a bat to fly around the ballroom, casting dark spheres at a pursuing Alucard. He dodged the spheres without trouble, but Dracula suddenly morphed to normal and sent his son flying with a kick. Alucard flipped upright, clashing with Dracula's sword. Alucard glanced down and saw the floor at his feet catching fire, and he jumped away before a spire of flames burst up. Alucard ran from a trail of such spires, but was caught off guard as Dracula divided into a swarm of bats and swooped past Alucard, leaving him riddled with cuts. When Dracula reformed, he followed with a strike from behind.

Bayonetta trapped Sandman in a sphere of Demon Arms as they all threw punches like a meteor storm. Sandman conjured an energy barrier to withstand the storm, but was also building up gas inside it. When the barrier shattered, the gas burst out and singed all the arms, and Bayo leapt away to avoid being infected. Morpheus threw grenades around the witch, so she used Witch Time to escape and appear behind Nolan. However, he anticipated this technique and leapt away while dropping a grenade, exploding against Bayo as she became sickened. Sandman trapped her in chains, then ran to throw punches against the witch.

Dracula conjured dark bubbles and willed them to float into Alucard and explode. Alucard evaded the bubbles to where they would crash into each other and explode. He ran to Dracula, but became gas to avoid his father's sword swings, reforming to stab his left hip. Dracula channeled energy into his claws and swiped the air, leaving fearsome cuts that Alucard was quick to jump away from. When his father finished his flurry, Alucard charged in for a stab to the stomach, only for Dracula to grab Alucard's head in attempt to twist it. Alucard let his whole body turn with, leaping as he snared Dracula's head between his legs. He escaped Dracula's grip as he swung around the lord's body, twisting his head around as well.

Bayonetta escaped the chains and attacked Sandman with Demon Arms once more. Morpheus aided Nolan to countering the arms, but the spirit's body began to crackle from fatigue. "Nnnngh…Morpheus!" Sandman grunted, his spiritual muscles straining as he struggled to push back the fists.

"Well, it seems your Zanpakutō is running out of power." Bayonetta smirked. "The aftershock isn't easy after your first time, is it, darling~?"

"I guess I'm just a little partied out. Better call someone to drive me home."

There was screaming and the sounds of engines whirring—the Soulmobile burst through the entrance of the ballroom, the crowd scrambling to clear away from it as it swerved around. "GO, my Four Sacred Beasts!" commanded Renard as her faithful dragon, bird, tiger and tortoise charged to attack Bayonetta.

"It was nice visiting you, Father." Alucard remarked, leaping off the altar and seizing Sandman off the floor.

Upstairs, Snake took hold of Claude's arms while Joker shoved a smoke bomb into the butler's mouth, stunning him with the explosion. The men immediately seized Mrs. York and dove off the balcony, swinging via their grappling hooks and landing inside the open car. Alucard had leapt in with Sandman, and once all were inside, Renard stomped the gas, turned the wheel forcefully, and zoomed out of the party.

"I vill NOT let you take my wife!" Dracula raced after the car with monstrous speed. Renard steered the car into the Sanzu River, switching to Hover Mode as it glided along the surface. Dracula was unafraid of the River of Souls as he performed a terrific leap with his built momentum, landing perfectly on the speeding car. "RETURN HER TO ME!" Dracula punched through the windshield, but Alucard leapt atop and seized him. He struggled to push Dracula off the back of the car while Drac did the same, both men furiously squeezing the other's neck.

"Eat garlic, Drac!" Snake loaded his gun and shot Dracula's leg, causing a moment of weakness that allowed Alucard to throw him off. However, Drac endured the pain and became a bat to fly after them.

"He just doesn't give up, does he?" Joker commented.

"Don't worry! We're almost at Maria!" Renard called attention to the shore, where Maria's carriage was parked.

The witch raised her scepter to the air and exclaimed, "EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

A silver butterfly exploded from the scepter, its gigantic form blessing the Underworld with light. "AAAAAHH!" Dracula sealed his eyes and turned away from the mass of light. Renard drove the Soulmobile into the carriage without hesitation—in an instant, it shrank to fit inside the garage. Maria quickly turned her carriage away and fled the castle grounds, keeping the Patronus active to keep Dracula at bay, long after they had escaped. (End song.)

Kyla York was lain to rest on the guestroom bed. "Let's bring her to Castle Hell." Nolan suggested. "I'll rely on Kid to keep her safe from Skull Face and Dracula."

"But what about the Voice? We didn't even find it." Joker said.

"I was more concerned about getting my mom away from there. We'll just have to focus on finding the next one. Skull Face already has the other three in his possession, so that'll be our priority."

"Heh…choosing your loved one over the mission." Snake cracked a smile. "That was pretty noble of you."

"Even if it's selfish, I do what my heart tells me. And I hated the idea of Dracula becoming my stepfather more than Skull Face keeping the Voice."

"I was happy to do my part for you, Sandman." Alucard said. "But given the severity of the grander situation, it seems my services are not yet finished."

"If you'd like to stick around, we'd greatly appreciate it." Joker replied. "Especially if Dracula decides to come for revenge. Anyway, where is the last Voice? We'd best find it as soon as possible."

"The only place left is the Ghost Zone." Nolan answered. "Speaking of, we should probably go see how Emily and Gohda are doing."

"Maria hopes they found her family…" The witch replied sadly.

…

Bayonetta marched up one of the castle towers, meeting with Skull Face in a guestroom. "Do you think Sandman knew we had a Lost Voice here?" Bayonetta asked. "Or did he only know his mother was here?"

"The only reason Sandman would have to find Alucard is because he learned the Voice was taken to this castle. Otherwise, I doubt Alucard thought to find Kyla's son and tell him about the wedding. Regardless, Sandman was quite resourceful if he knew to seek him out… but there was no reason to let him take the Voice." Skull Face withdrew the purple orb from his costume. "Kyla has already proclaimed her false feelings for Dracula to the Voice of Unwanted Feelings. Soon, the spirit of this Voice will awaken just as the Lingering Regrets did, and it will bond with my parasites all the same. Now, we still need to awaken the Voice of Lost Time and wait for Sandman to bring us the last one. With that ability he just awakened, he will be able to claim it easily."

**Mechanos; Scrap Brain City**

Scrap Brain City was built on a great piece of land bought and owned by Dr. Eggman. One of the top manufacturers of robots in the universe, Eggman was seen as a legend in this world, and any such legend deserved no less than the finest land. All robots here lived under the rule of Eggman, and he himself took residence in the massive, dome-shaped building that resembled his head, with a big metal nose and mustache stretching out of the structure.

Eggman examined the city from the right "eye" of the base, in actuality a wide, round window. "This is a lovely home away from home. Call me prejudiced, but I always feel warm in the company of robots." The doctor twisted his chair around, facing his guest across the desk. "So, Varcrutis… you wish to strike a deal with me? But just what is your business here?"

"Well, I'm from a race called the Daemonis." Var replied, seated on a chair opposite of his. A giant robot spider lurked on the ceiling, its pilot glaring at her from the cockpit window. "We pray on different universes in search of followers or strong materials that we could make into weapons. This universe is fluent with lots of diverse, juicy energy, so we've had our eye on it for a while. But it was only about 23 years ago that we seriously started focusing on it. Unfortunately, our enemies, the Phoenios were desperate to keep us away, and the gods of this universe were adamant to as well because of a certain 'prophecy.' We wish to establish dominion over the Phoenios and seize all the worlds they control, but as it stands, this universe is beyond our ability to conquer. The best we can do is make bargains with beings who are willing to have us."

"The Phoenios, you say? So, if I allow you to work with me, I'll have to worry about this group?"

"Oh, they'll get in big trouble if they bother you or anyone from this universe, so you don't need to worry. That being said, they'll probably be on my tail soon, so I'd like to get down to business while I have the time."

"Then tell me about yourself first. What are your abilities?"

"I'm a reality bender, which I believe falls into the category of chaosbending. Strong or powerful attacks do little to stop me when I distort reality in my favor. And I can also make you into whatever graphical style you want!" With a snap of the fingers, Eggman changed into his _Sonic Adventure 1_ graphics, then his _SA2_ model, his shiny _Heroes_ model, his skinnier, realistic _2006_ model, the muscular _Boom_ model, then back to normal.

"Ho ho! That was a trip down memory lane~. There's nothing like having a rare bender type on my team!"

"Your Maliciousness! I've brought your two-foot sandwich!" A tall, skinny chicken robot walked in with a sandwich in hand.

"I made one, too! It's better!" Following him was a shorter, blue robot with a drill nose, hands, and digger tracks.

"You poked holes all over your sandwich, Grounder!" Eggman yelled at the shorter robot. "Still… this is rather convenient timing. Scratch, give your sandwich to our guest. She must be quite famished after coming such a long way."

"Well, don't mind if I do." Var took the sandwich from Scratch. "Though I'm quite in the mood for chicken~"

Scratch gulped. "No! Not chicken! No-wo-wo-wo!" His head retracted into his body.

"From what I'm scanning," Eggman began, "you seem to be quite abundant with chi. I don't suppose you'd be willing to part with a few pieces of DNA? Having robots that could distort reality would be great in my repertoire."

"Aww, but I like my DNA…" Varcrutis stroked her hair. "But I guess… Or I could give you Space Phoenix feathers."

"Space Phoenix?"

"Space Phoenixes can freely warp between dimensions. If you had a handful of feathers, you'd be able to breach through to any distant universe, especially if you had those Chaos Emeralds handy."

"That sounds mighty promising…" Eggman grinned maniacally, stroking his chin. "But what to give you in turn? Recently, I harnessed energy from the Ancient Onyx in the Negaverse and developed some powerful robots. I wouldn't mind parting with them if these phoenix feathers hold true to their worth."

"I'm not a technician myself, but I'm sure some of my friends wouldn't mind a few new toys to tinker with. You seem like a fan of rocks, so I bet I can nab a few powerful gems to suit your fancy."

"As a matter of fact, there are some gems I've had my eye on. You see, Var, there's this planet called-"

"'ey, Doctor!" A red monkey robot entered the office, holding a cigarette and trying to flick on a lighter. "My lighter's outta oil, ya got any extra?"

"Coconuts!" Eggman scowled reprovingly. "Smo_king as_ usual, I see?"

"Smoke?!" Var gasped. "GET THAT AWAY FROM ME!" She bent and morphed the cigarette into a ring as hard as metal, choking Coconuts' neck. "I'm strictly against smoke, I keep my lungs fresh and pure!"

"Hwah hah hah!" Scratch laughed. "I told you Dr. Robotnik would bust you!"

"Heheh, no smokin' on the job!" Grounder followed.

"W-Wait, wait, I had somethin' to report!" Coconuts struggled to tear off the cigarette. "There's intruders! The KND are tearin' down the security bots!"

"Intruders?!" Eggman pressed a button and brought up a display. Downtown, a team of robots were fighting his minions: he recognized Numbuh XJ-9, Jenny Wakeman, a robot teen with white and blue metal. Her arms were divided into saber swords as she sliced Egg Pawns to pieces. He recognized the Silver Shell, a muscular robot with silver armor. The approaching Egg Hammer was taller than him by a chest's length, but Silver Shell's brute strength took it down with a punch. Then there was Arale, a short robot who resembled a human, with peach skin, purple hair, glasses, and blue overalls over a red shirt. Arale flew at an E-2000 with a double-kick, but when her sneakers made contact, they literally snapped contact lenses onto the robot, which flipped and faced up at the sun, causing the robot to catch on fire.

"Hurrr…those three again." Eggman grumbled.

"Snot-nosed kids giving you trouble?" Var asked. "Or I guess 'oil-nosed' would be a more accurate phrase. I'll send Sylistys to take care of them."

"Ah, yes, the one waiting in the lobby. I was going to ask about her."

"She's one of our new weapons. Just say the word and I'll have her be rid of those brats. She'll crush their metal as easily as bone."

"Ho ho ho. Then let's see if she's worthy to serve the great Doctor Ivo, R-r-r-r-r-robotnik! There is yet more to discuss with you, so I'll need someone to observe her for me. That duty falls to you, Omelette."

Var heard a sound above her and looked up, seeing the cockpit of the robo-spider open. A little girl dropped down from the spider, landing gracefully on her feet. She had a cute frown on her pudgy cheeks, spiky brownish-red hair, blue glasses, a black shirt over a rather wide dress that was yellow and red, and black shoes.

The girl smacked a wrench against her palm, glaring at Var. "I'll be keepin' a close eye on that creepy lady, so she better do good!" she yelled in a strict, kiddish, Tara Strong voice.

Var cocked a brow at the child in confusion. "Who are you?"

"You're looking at the heir to the Robotnik name. This, Var, is my daughter: Dr. Ovoid, R-r-r-r-robotnik, but you may call her Omelette."

"Your daughter? With those gray nosehairs, I would've pegged her for 'granddaughter.'"

"Hey, no dissin' Dad's nosehairs!"

"It's alright, Omelette. Now, would you please go tell Sylistys to dispose of those operatives for me? And feel free to lend a hand if you can."

"Okay, fine. But I'm in charge!" The child marched out with passionate steps.

"Now, back to what I was saying… There's a planet in the Nicklodia Galaxy called Etheria…"

* * *

**Mavis is from _Hotel Transylvania_ and Dick, Judy, and Irwin are from _Billy & Mandy_; if you're familiar with other children of Dracula from any series, they're probably at that party, too. XD The whole masquerade ball setting was based off the _Van Helsing_ movie (I never watched it, but Sarstar showed me the clip, so it served as good inspiration XD). Morpheus is the one who actually granted the Gem of Dreams to Nolan's mentor, Wesley Dodds. He's been more prominent in Depthcharge's _KND: Universe_.**


	9. Reaping the Riches

**I've kinda been getting back into _Sonic_ lately. Not the new games, of course, the older games. XD Oh, and I keep forgetting to mention, but NuclearPixelemental, welcome to the Gameverse!**

* * *

**_Chapter 9: Reaping the Riches_**

Mechanos existed in the previous universe as a desolate planet. A scientist explorer arrived on the planet and used microbots to devour poison from a pond, and in a flash, those microbots evolved into dinosaurs overnight. The next day, there were cave-bots, then there were humanoid robots, and then their entire beings evolved into energy. It was believed that robots did everything faster than humans, including evolve, but Mechanos was reborn as a New Planet thanks to Bender's input. It was a paradise to robots and flesh beings who adored or created robots. Manufacturers like Mom or Eggman were treated with especially high status.

Jenny Wakeman was created by a lesser-known scientist called Nora Wakeman, modeled to resemble the common teenage girl. This was meant to help her blend in and empathize with humans, but considering her wide assortment of transformations and weapons, she realized she worked better as a KND operative. Her arm was changed into a hammer as she bashed and smashed the head of an Egg Hammer. "Jenny, watch out! There are more coming!" yelled the Silver Shell.

A swarm of zombie-like robots were dragging their selves up the street. They seemed like they were fresh from the scrap heap, moving under the power of a ghostly white aura. "Has Eggman started recycling or something?" Jenny asked, questioning the threat they posed.

The Scrapbots were magnetically drawn to each other, becoming larger robots as they charged at the operatives. Sheldon wrestled with one, and another slashed a large sword at Jenny, who blocked it with six swords made from her arms. "There's something different about these robots, Jenny!" the Shell said. "I feel a weird power!"

"I don't even feel life readings from them! This is definitely strange… And where did Arale wander off to?! We could seriously use her help!"

…

"Hohohoy! Hohohoy!" Somewhere downtown, Arale was happily throwing her purple-haired head up and down, her expression cheery and pure. She blissfully approached a stand run by a blue, robot bird. Arale screwed her head back on and said, "I'd like a smoothie please!"

"Craw? What kind?"

"Dinosaur oil!"

"Okay." The bird-bot turned around, prepared the smoothie, and gave it to Arale.

The child casually began sipping on the straw. _"ROOOOAAAR!"_ A tremendous, bulky dino-bot stormed around some buildings and spotted the little prey. The beast charged at Arale, the child turning with quizzical eyes. Dimentia dashed in the way of the dino and stopped it with her hand. The dino struggled to push against her, but Leic jumped and sliced his way up its body. Butterflies fluttered out of the machine, leaving it totally lifeless as it collapsed.

"Sylistys is able to control robotic corpses, too?" Plex asked. "Then she isn't just a bonebender…"

"Hi-cha. Who are you?"

Dimentia glanced back at Arale. Because this was a more public area, the Zathurian was wearing a hood to conceal her identity. "Do you live around here, little girl? It's not safe to be outside, you should go hide somewhere."

"You want to go play hide-and-seek?" asked the spectacled robot.

"Tee hee!" Leic giggled. "Sure, we can play hide-and-seek if you want."

"… …Hoyo?" Arale was pondering Dimentia's silence.

"Wait, you're a robot." Dimentia realized. "Heh, sorry Leic, robots can't see spirits."

"But she can see you okay."

"I'm a different kind of spirit."

"Now you know how I feel." Plex remarked. "…Dimentia!"

A giant Mechaworm dove at them, but Dimentia dashed under its mouth, stabbing her dual swords up against the beast and cutting twin perfect lines down its body. Once past it, Dimentia watched as the worm fell dead, its bottom split into three. Arale simply stared at the monster, her mouth an 'o', completely unfazed by the threat. "Hoyo?"

Dimentia narrowed her eyes and faced the puppeteer of these beasts. "So, you're showing yourself early." she said to Sylistys. "Have you finally decided to stop running?"

"My master is tending to an important meeting. She doesn't need you to interrupt her."

"I knew it! There IS another Daemonis here! What are you two planning?!"

"Hey! Stylist!" shouted another voice. Behind the bonebender was Omelette, riding a small hover pod. "That girl is one of the KND operatives! Stomp her!"

Dimentia and Leic leapt to block Arale from her view. "You have a little sidekick of your own now?"

"I'm not her sidekick!" Omelette yelled. "I'm her supervisor! Papa wants me to watch her!"

"It's just one problematic child after another." Plex sighed.

"You're not hurting anyone else, Sy." Dimentia vowed. "We're stopping you for good!"

"We'll see about that." Sylistys bent up some metal to encase herself in armor. (Play "Iron Jungle" from _Shadow the Hedgehog_!)

_Stage D-3: Scrap Brain City_

_Mission: Subdue Sylistys and her accomplice!_

Dimentia charged at the bonebender and slashed her Space Swords, Sylistys enduring in her armor as she willed blades to pierce up from the ground. Dimentia ran further away and ran sideways to better evade her attacks. She relinked the bow and shot an arrow, Sy dodging as she brought up and hurled a metal snake. Dimentia grabbed the snake, spun, and swung it into Sy, who sliced it with her bending. Dimentia ran closer and swung the rest of the snake, Sy chopping it lower each time before attempting to shoot blades at Dimentia. The Inviere dodged and shot an arrow—the arrow went through Sy's armor and warped her to the arrow that was loosed earlier. Once disarmed, Leic ambushed her from behind with a stab, Sy clutching the angel in metal claws, but Dimentia leapt to land more sword slashes.

"Whatever, I'll just deal with you myself." Omelette said to Arale. She launched missiles from her pod, but Arale dodged them with ease.

"Are we playing tag? You're it! !" Arale about-faced and zoomed up the street with superhuman speed. Sylistys looked to her and pursued, summoning a motorcycle over with her bending. The woman leapt on the cycle and sped after Arale. Dimentia raced after the creation, but Scrapbots jumped out from behind buildings, one stretching the wire of its arms to grab her. It slammed Dimentia around the ground before Leic sliced her free. Dimentia flipped upright and shot an arrow at a Scrap-Arm, dodging the others' whipping arms as she sniped them all with arrows. She continued running up the street, the road leading to a highway.

She could see the road sloping down and turning left in the distance, and it seemed Sylistys had chased Arale that far, only for the girl to be cornered at a roadblock of Scrapbots. "Get on, Leic, we have to hurry!" Dimentia lifted the boy on her shoulders and raced across the highway with full speed. Sylistys had broken off parts of the road, so Dimentia performed a terrific leap over a gap. Scrap-Cycles tried to intercept her, but she cut them down without halting her pursuit. She leapt the following gap, but some Scrap-Cycles sped ahead and pulled ropes to tug the slanted road back up. Luckily, Leic flapped his wings to pull Dimentia up and land her on the road, the Inviere racing forward to slice the robots that tried to impede her.

Dimentia leapt segmented platforms of the highway while Scrap-Copters tried to cut her down in the air, only to be butter-fied by Leic. Past the platforms, the highway would curve left, and bulldozer Scrapbots would block their way to Arale. Dimentia lured them close together and encased them in a circle of arrows. Trapping them in Nega-Zone, Dimentia forced all the Scrap-Dozers together with a Gravity Field, smashing them all into a perfectly rounded ball. Dimentia took the ball and kicked it directly forward, bashing Sylistys clear in the head.

The Scrap-Ball bounced off as if it were a simple rubber ball, Sylistys' head bending from the impact, but she dropped Arale. Dimentia caught up to the creation and lashed her blades. Sylistys evaded some attacks and suddenly pushed Dimentia away with a metal panel. Leic jumped off her shoulders and sliced down Sy's front, but she kicked him away in quick retaliation. Dimentia charged at her, but Sy quickly yanked up the road to block and envelop the Inviere. She bent that chunk of road into a ball shape and began to crush Dimentia inside it.

Leic attacked Sy to stop her, but she used her left hand to fly metal blades at him, using her right to keep squeezing the ball. Sylistys flipped up 10 blades and sent them from all sides of Leic—the boy suddenly warped and poofed beside the ball. "Huh?!" Confused, the boy looked down: there was a tiny Dimentia at his feet, along with an Arrow Warp. "WAH?! Dimentia, what happened?! You're so cute!"

"I just shrank my dimensions and slipped through a hole in that ball, nothing unusual. Felt easier than trying to push it open." Dimentia stretched back to normal and ran to stab Sylistys, but the latter pulled up two blades from behind Dimentia, stabbing her back. Leic commanded butterflies to pull the blades out of her, then he ran around to cut Sy's hip. She could feel him trying to butter-fy her, so she pushed him away and broke away from Dimentia.

Sylistys about-faced… Arale had disappeared. There was large pounding in the distance, and they saw the child in question casually bouncing the Scrap-Ball Dimentia had just used, going further uptown. "Man, do I gotta do everything?!" Omelette soared by on a miniature warplane, grabbing Sylistys in a claw and flying after Arale. Dimentia lifted Leic and leapt off the highway, landing and leaping across rooftops. They arrived at some taller buildings, in which Dimentia made a Grav-Path going up the side of one.

They stepped off on a walkway, where a Gearmo (maid robot) was angrily trying to sweep large Scrap-Bugs off the building. Leic happily helped by turning the bots' chi into butterflies, allowing the Gearmo to sweep them off the edge for good. "Yeah! Take that, you wretched constructions of vermin!"

"You're welcome!" Leic cheered, even though she couldn't see him. The two leapt some platforms to the walkway of another building, but since it would only lead to a door, they used a Grav-Path to go along the side of a windowed building. There was a short, human-looking man in blue attire called Fix-It Felix, hammering a nail into the side of a windowsill. Sadly, Scrap-Printers burst out of random windows, using spider legs to cling on. A printer burst out of Felix's window, sending him falling and screaming.

"Kickball-CHA!" From directly below, Arale kicked the Scrap-Ball skyward, striking Felix as he went blasting to the sky. "Hoyo?" She gazed intently as the ball seemed to leave the atmosphere. "Oh! I'll catch it!" And she kept running.

Dimentia made another Nega-Zone, catching all the Scrap-Printers inside and flattening them to a two-dimensional disc. Dimentia carried the disc and walked around the broken windows. From the edge of the building, they were in view of Egg Quarters, the dome-shaped structure of Eggman's likeness. "Leic, get on." She ordered, the angel climbing on the disc. She stuck an Arrow Warp inside it and threw with terrific force, then she stuck herself with another arrow to warp on it as well.

"Wheeeee!" cheered Leic, the two whirling rapidly on the flying disc, until it landed them perfectly on a walkway on the outside of the building. Scrap-Eggrobos flew out on faulty jetpacks, shooting lasers that Dimentia evaded. They also evaded her arrows before going down after a failed dodge, and Leic leapt to grab one's legs and butter-fy its chi, then swung to another to repeat the tactic.

"Dimentia," Plex began, "when I observed Sylistys a moment ago, I felt an extra layer of chi over her bonebending. I think this metalbending comes from an outside source."

"Could it be another of Pyronem's marbles?"

"There's a chance. A metal-controlling ability would adapt well with a bonebender, since they're both sub-elements of Earth."

The two climbed a ladder to an upper floor, seeing Arale racing ahead while Omelette dropped Sylistys down to chase her. Scrap-Swats, the junk remains of Eggman's police robots, ran to engage Dimentia with lightsabers. She held back two of the Swatbots with either of her swords, but when one struck from behind, she ducked, tricking it into stabbing another. She then sliced down the other two Swatbots, and Leic was already nimbly evading the remaining Swatbots and butter-fying the chi possessing them. They hurried up the path as it turned left, leading into an inlet of the Egg Quarters.

This narrow path led to a wider area, guarded by a gigantic Guerra-Hard robot. Though the robot seemed strong and sturdy, it was still lifeless and under Sylistys' control. It slammed a fist down at the two, splitting them up, and it attempted to squash Leic like a fly. "Wait, I thought robots couldn't see me!"

"It must be sensing you thanks to Sy's influence!" Dimentia deduced.

"But that just isn't fair!"

Dimentia attempted to stab the robot's boots, but left no scratch as it kicked her away. Leic ran up its arm when it punched, trying to cut along, but struggled to butter-fy the chi through the sturdy armor. When Leic made it to the head, he noticed a small hole in the side of it, but Guerra-Hard swat him off, the angel crashing painfully against the wall. Dimentia caught him as he fell, dodging Guerra-Hard's follow-up attack. "Dimentia, I saw a hole in his head. Maybe you can get little and beat him from inside."

"You aren't hurt, are you?"

"Oh, me? Haha, I may be full of butter, but I'm not a softy!"

"Eh, if you say so!" Dimentia set him on his feet, and as they dodged Guerra-Hard's next attack, she minimized herself again. Leic swiftly grabbed her off the floor and tossed her onto the fist before it rose back up. She zoomed along the arm and found the hole in question, going inside. There were strings of white chi linking the wires, so she sliced each and every one. Dimentia would feel the giant robot collapsing out of commission. She climbed out and resized, and there was nothing to stop them from Grav-Walking up the wall to a higher floor.

Dimentia and Leic took down some Scrap-Cycles on their way up some stairs. The stairs ended at a narrow path that curved slightly leftward, with Eggrobos flying up from either end to shoot them. Once the Scrapbots were shot down, the duo hurried to the end of the path, leading to a building entrance where Sylistys was trying to squeeze Arale. "Don't take another step!" Omelette yelled, shooting missiles from her pod. "This is Dad's office and you can't enter without a-"

Dimentia warped her further back via Arrow Warp. She leapt forth to stab Sylistys, but halted herself when the woman spun to use Arale as a shield. Dimentia simply attached the bow again and used another Arrow Warp, leaving nothing to interfere as she started dicing Sy again. Sy bent up the metal from the floor to cut Dimentia's arms, but she kicked up against the bonebender's chin, followed by a spin attack with 20 cuts against Sy's chest. Sylistys sharpened her boney fingers and sliced up Dimentia's clothes—a flock of butterflies flew out of them and covered Sy.

"I call this trick, 'Buttery Arrows'!" Leic declared, willing those butterflies to morph back into Space Arrows that all pierced Sylistys. The creation knelt in weakness, and then Dimentia did a flip to stomp her head against the floor. Leic leapt on her and pelted her with quick, precise, gentle punches, blocking Sy's chi. A silver marble rolled out of her as a result. (End song.)

Dimentia could sense all remaining Scrapbots in the town collapsing. "That's the end of your metalbending." she declared. "You're virtually powerless on this planet now."

"Huff…curse you…" Sylistys rasped.

"Hey, Dimentia? I've been wondering something about this lady." Leic said.

"Yeah, what?"

"Well, she's a bonebender. I just thought it funny because one of my friends is a bonebender. Her name's Aluben. I kinda mentioned her earlier, sorta."

"A…Aluben?…" Sylistys panted hoarsely.

"That is kind of funny." Dimentia agreed. "Still, this is a Daemonis creation, not…"

"Dimentia… hold on." Plex said. "Aluben… Isn't that 'Nebula' spelled backwards?"

"Nebula? …Leic, are you from the Negaverse?"

"Yeah, did I not mention that?"

"Aluben… then her mom's name would be Aitnemid… Has Aluben ever told you about her mom?"

"She said that her mom was really mean, so she killed her."

"How could you say that so casually?!" Plex shouted. "Wait… but, that would mean…"

"Was that… the same time _I_ died?" Dimentia asked quietly. "…Sy…" She stared down at the woman. "Is…is your name… Aitnemid?"

"Ait…nemid?" Her breathing calmed down. "I…I don't know that name… Aitnemid…Ait…nem…"

_Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap._

Dimentia gasped back to attention when a dangerous aura stepped out of the building door. Varcrutis was smirking and clapping sarcastically. "Bravo, genius. It took you this long to figure it out?"

"Hoyo?" Arale cocked her head at the new stranger.

"You got it right~" Varcrutis pulled Sy upright and pinched both cheeks. "This little lady used to be your Negative, Aitnemid! The Coincidence Factor dictates that fate works for both sides, right?"

"Varcrutis!" Dimentia drew her swords. "It really was you! What're you doing back here?!"

"Is she a friend of yours?" Leic asked.

"Hardly. She hurt my daughter's friends a few years back."

"I was only playing around! As for what I'm doing here, I thought it was time to set up shop again in this universe. After all, it's not like the Phoenios should be the only ones reaping its riches. That's why we saved this poor soul from Limbo and Veneniutis rebuilt her as this. Not that her past matters all that much, all that matters is her future. Still, we hoped she would be able to hide out a little longer, being a denizen of this universe."

"You're not setting up shop anywhere! We're not letting you use this universe for your own selfish gain!"

"Oh, and the Phoenios are allowed to? The only reason we're so fixed on this place is because the Phoenios wanted it. And that's why, a something-million years ago," Var projected an illusion in the air, "did your matriarch, Alumenosus and her children arrive here." The illusion displayed Arceus's silhouette and seven smaller, humanoid silhouettes before him. "Alumenosus was like, 'Can we please be friends, Arceus?' And Arceus was like, 'Sure, why not?' And every century or so, they'd come over for tea parties or goddess games or whatever it is you do. The Phoenios warned him about the Daemonis, they promised not to invade each other's universe, nor would they interfere with each other's events, and found a mutual understanding, yada-yada."

The illusion vanished. "But slowly but surely, they were hoping to take from this universe. Sadly, in the large gap where Arceus was incapacitated, they decided not to visit at all because they knew trying to take anything during that time would send a bad message if Arceus ever woke up. But now that worry has been lifted off their shoulders. If they could turn _you_ into an Inviere, the one whose body was adept to a Firstborn's chi, what's to stop them from making the other Firstborn Guardians into Inviere? Or the former Seven Lights, or any one of those superhuman brats?"

"We do not turn people into Inviere so casually!" Plex shouted, Dimentia carrying on his words.

"You sound like you were trained to say that." Var remarked. "My point is, we want our fair share from this place, and that's exactly why we took Aitnemid."

"Is that the connection we share?" Sylistys asked. "We're… a Positive and Negative? Who was I before…?"

"Didn't I tell you your past doesn't matter? Either way, I'm a little disappointed you didn't hold your ground against these two. You could've seriously embarrassed me in front of Dr. Eggman. You couldn't even take out that little angel boy? It's as easy as doing this~"

With a sudden motion, Var scraped her foot against the floor, distorting and stretching it like rubber as Leic was yanked over to her. "AAAH!" the boy cried as she grabbed his robe and stretched it fully over his frail frame, wrapping it up like a sack.

"LEIC!" Dimentia leapt to attack, but Var passed the child to Sy and quickly blocked the Space Swords with her hands.

"Like a worm in a cocoon. She can snack on him while I deal with you." Varcrutis swung a kick to blast Dimentia across the walkway, the Inviere tumbling down several layers of the Egg Quarters.

"Hoyo!" Arale grew ever more curious as Varcrutis raced after Dimentia. The robot child spread her arms like a plane and ran to see, with Sy merely watching her, confused by her carefree reaction.

Dimentia quickly raced up as Var showed herself on a higher layer of the base. "Between that Cherry Boy and your transformation, too many inconvenient things happened on the _Noah_. I came back to this universe because I was hoping to make up for our mistakes. Even though it was Certae's fault. And I'll start by clipping those pretty feathers of yours!" (Play "Counterattack" from _Xenoblade 2_!)

Varcrutis leapt down and swiped her claws rapidly, Dimentia maneuvering her blades with equal speed. Var willed the air around Dimentia's hands to become as heavy as steel, allowing the demon to punch her face repeatedly. Dimentia warped behind Var and grabbed her, warping above the planet's atmosphere. "No reason to hold back with you!" Dimentia conjured gravity fields around Var in attempt to rip her apart, but Var willed those fields to become balloons, poking holes as they blew around the space. Dimentia struck with a storm of Starbursts, Var enduring them as she willed the space around Dimentia to smash her from both sides.

Dimentia warped away and kicked Var in the back, then abruptly pulled her back via a Gravity Field in her palm. The palm became a vortex and tried to compress and flush Var inside, but she released a goopy chi in order to "clog" the vortex. Afterward, she forced herself out and stamped Dimentia's stomach, making it twist into a cramp. "Ya know, you'd move a lot faster if you show your wings!" Var ripped the space around Dimentia, attempting to split her.

"That's what you want, isn't it?! You're up to something!" Dimentia snapped the space back together and dodged her claw stab. She rapidly warped her swords into random parts of Var's body, until the demon willed springs to jut out of two parts and blow the swords away. However, Dimentia suddenly stretched a spear made of solid Space Chi, scraping Var's left hip, and then Dimentia morphed it into a sword to swing against her. "What were you doing with Dr. Eggman?!"

"Just tryin' to make friends is all! And friends do favors for each other, so he needs me to bust up some kids!" Varcrutis morphed the sword into a banana shape and took a bite of the top, afterwards spitting the mushed Space Chi at Dimentia's face.

"The operatives on Mechanos?!" Dimentia caught Var in a portal and warped her swords back to herself, flying to slash the demon.

"That was Sy's assignment, and frankly, I expected more from her." Var flipped free and grabbed the portal like a "disc," flying away to toss it at Dimentia, who dodged. "It was only a few bratty robots and all her machines couldn't crush them? Plus, she took her precious time with that purple-haired brat, maybe Veneniutis needs to tweak her programming."

"Or maybe she just wasn't strong enough." Dimentia linked her bow and flew above, raining arrows down as Var dodged most of them. "After all, evil adults like you two are the KND's forte."

"Don't make me laugh!" Varcrutis casually swiped stars from the sky as if they were up close, throwing them like tiny shurikens. "I nearly trounced those kids on the _Noah_, and I'll do the same to those other brats! After all, if you can't even beat me, they don't stand a chance!"

"'Nearly' is what I heard there." Dimentia smirked. "It sounded like Cheren was too much for you to handle."

Var's eye twitched, willing the remaining stars to suddenly fall and cut Dimentia. While the remaining space appeared to blacken, the real stars would slowly return to dot the sky. "I was just a little tired is all! It wasn't easy breaching a dimensional tunnel that strong!"

"Sure, if that's what you believe. Either way, it's just the universe's way of saying you aren't welcome~"

"Bullshit!" Varcrutis flew to bite Dimentia's nose, stretching it in a cartoony fashion as she wrapped Dimentia's neck with it. Dimentia forced her off and dimensionally shrank her nose back. "I could go and kill them right now if I wanted! Your friends would never stop me in time, and this universe's gods sure wouldn't do jack! They're so obsessed with the 'power of mortals' that they devolved into a lazy bunch!"

"With everything that's happened since then, they're surely more than capable of stopping you."

"Don't be ridiculous! Gods or demons, mortals are inferior to us! That's just reality, sweetheart; I don't even need to bend it for it to be true! And if you still don't believe me, I'll show you! Eggman won't mind if I dispose of these bots real quick~" Varcrutis reached down and grabbed the "rim" of Mechanos' horizon as if it were within arm's reach. She pulled up, and they were both suddenly floating above Scrap Brain City. Var glanced down, seeing the duo of Jenny and Silver Shell running to reunite with Arale. With a smirk, she swooped down to them, but Dimentia tackled and forced her to the ground. "What's wrong?! Don't think they can beat me?!"

"Whether they can or not, it's still not your place to bother them!"

Varcrutis shoved Dimentia off. "It must suck, doesn't it, Dimentia? Knowing you can't help your friends, can't interfere with this world, all because of what the Phoenios did to you? You're just an outsider now, unwanted by this world! And it's only thanks to US that you can come back here, to protect these kids you love so much! You WANT us to attack this universe so you can still be a hero here!"

"A hero? Me?" Dimentia seemed to scoff at the idea.

"Yes, you always tried to make yourself look like a hero. Just like when you ran the GKND; I certainly know that much about you. In the end, you're still just a selfish woman, Dimentia!"

_"-aaaaaaaaahhhhh!"_

Frowning, Varcrutis looked up in curiosity. The giant Scrap-Ball Dimentia had formed, and that Arale had kicked to the sky, was finally returning to the surface, and Fix-It Felix was still stuck on it. What's more, it was falling directly to Arale's trajectory, just as the latter intended. "Hoyo! Time for volleyball!" the child cheered. "Super Fist of Shōnen Jump!" She performed a great leap. "Serving the Ball!" With amazing strength, she punched it: the ball flew with bullet speed, BASHING Var clear in the head.

"WAAAAAAH…" Felix was flung off the ball and back to the sky, whilst the ball bounced elsewhere.

"…" Dimentia could only stare baffled at that sudden, bizarre occurrence. Had Arale been planning to attack like that since the beginning?

Var, however, after bending her head back straight, faced the child with pure malice. "Hoyo?" Arale only stared at her cluelessly.

"Oh, you're gonna pay for that, brat." And so, she charged the robot like a raging predator, claws ready to reduce Arale's head into scrap.

Arale's eyes sharpened, brimming with determination. "HOH!" She assumed a karate pose. "PLANET CHOPPU!" And she forced her fingers into the metal earth.

The entire planet completely split into a crescent trench. Dimentia's mouth totally dropped at the dramatic display of power. Varcrutis gasped as well, flailing her legs in the air, for she was merely feet away from the edge of the trench where Arale stood. "You know I can fly, right?" she smirked, merely sitting cross-legged in the air. (Play "Nopon's Life" from _Xenoblade_.)

"WAAAAH-!" Felix came falling again. Var looked up eyes wide, too late to dodge him. "Save me, My Queen!" He grabbed onto Var's chest, pushing her down under his weight.

"…" Dimentia blinked. Standing on the edge of the trench, she could only watch. Too many questions were circling her mind.

Varcrutis tried to shove Felix off, but his grip and weight were unmatched. "What the hell are you?! You weigh a ton!"

"Sorry, precious. When I was flying, I accidentally swallowed my hammer."

"THAT RAISES FURTHER QUESTIONS!" she shouted. "OW!" They crashed through a brick wall, "OW!" and another one, and there were more to come.

"Mmm, you're comfy." Felix said, snuggling with her. "Do you wanna get married?"

"Grrrr!" Var snapped her fingers, turning the next brick wall into a trampoline. Their speed and weight pressed the trampoline far down, blasting them back up with terrific force. In a second, they were soaring above the planet's surface again.

"Phew, you saved us." Felix climbed up to Var's head with a smile. "You know, you're one dynamite gal~"

Var pulled him off and KICKED him in the crotch. The force sent Felix flying and shot the hammer out of him. "And the answer's 'no'!" she responded.

However, not watching where she was falling, the Daemonis splashed into a spring of clear water. She resurfaced, looking around in confusion. This spring was located in the middle of a beautiful forest. "This can't be on Mechanos! Where did we end up…"

"Chronicler-san, you jump first!" Arale instructed.

"Of course, my dear." The ancient dragon was wearing swim trunks as he dove with hands folded into the spring. The splash washed over Var's head. "Ahhh, isn't the water amazing today, Varcrutis?" Chronicler asked.

"Next, Ignitus!" Arale instructed as a Fire Dragon dove in. "Next, Terrador." A green Earth Dragon dove in. Varcrutis merely let herself float in the middle of them, questioning everything that was happening. "Now, Volteer!" The Lightning Dragon stepped up next.

"NO! NOT VOLTEER!" the dragons screamed.

Alas, this didn't stop the Electro-Dragon from diving in. "ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!" The spring flashed with blinding electricity, Varcrutis lighting up alongside the dragons.

When the electricity faded, the dragons floated dead in the pool. "Huff…huff…" Varcrutis struggled to pull herself onto land. "What…what the hell is that girl…ow!" Felix's hammer bonked her head. "Damn you…AAH!" Then she was immediately squashed under Wreck-It Ralph.

"So, where's this lady you told me about, Felix?" Ralph asked, wearing a tuxedo as he carried his friend.

"Oh, she's probably jumping in a trench or something. She's a wild gal, that one." Felix replied, carrying a bouquet.

"Yooooouuu…" Varcrutis slowly rose behind them, fuming. "GO FIND SOMEONE ELSE!" And she sent both men flying away with a kick. (End song.)

Panting in exhaust, Var turned to Arale. The "spring" turned back into the city. "Wait a minute…" Var finally understood. "You're one of those 'Bo-bobo' brats, aren't you? The kind that gets by with all that dumb nonsense… There's no point trying to kill you."

"Ha ha ha ha! Aha ha ha ha ha!"

Her blood boiling, Varcrutis turned to Dimentia, who was laughing joyously. "Ha ha ha ha! Saying they don't stand a chance, because I can't beat you? Don't compare me to the KND, sweetheart. My kids have always been stronger than me, and their friends are no different. All I was was a selfish adult clinging to a pointless dream."

"Just because that clown is too stubborn to die, it changes nothing for everyone else! Both of us, we're above the omniverse!"

"Hah." Dimentia said simply. "If that's true, why work for Eggman? Why not just do whatever you want? It's because mortals run this universe. You can't do anything without their support. Without their acknowledgement."

"I'm just playing along with this world's rules because it's fun. Otherwise, I'd go to town on this place! After all, this isn't even my final form!" Var flashed with a blue aura, transforming into an orca-like humanoid with a tail, black and white skin, and blue plates of sharp armor. She spun and whacked her tail at Dimentia, then gnashed her teeth while the Inviere blocked them with a sword. She bit and broke the sword, punching Dimentia several yards away. She ran to grab her by the neck and threw her to the sky. Seeing the Egg Quarters in the distance, Var repeated her past technique, grabbed the fortress, and pulled it closer for Dimentia to land in a round, open area.

Dimentia struggled to push herself up. "AAAAAHHH!" Five pillars had risen up and electrocuted her in an energy field.

"HO HO HO ho ho ho!" Eggman laughed, controlling the machine from a chamber. "So, this is the 'Space Phoenix,' Var? Not quite what I expected, but this should squeeze those feathers out of her."

"Aaaaaahh…!" Dimentia could barely move in the grasp of the painful device. Somehow, she thinks this machine was designed to capture Super Sonic in the past, and it was clearly efficient. "AAAAH!" A pair of pink wings sprouted out of her.

"Excellent!" Eggman rubbed his gloved hands deviously. "Now we'll give it a few more seconds for her to pass out."

"Cuckoo-coo-coo!" Scratch laughed. "I can make a neat fur coat with those feathers!"

"Master!" Sylistys called, walking into the area, carrying the sack in which Leic was still struggling. "Do you want me to eat Dimentia after he's finished with her?"

"Well, we-…!" Her eyes widened. "You still didn't eat that boy?!"

"Huh? Oh, sorry, I just wanted to watch you. I'll eat him now." She was about to bite through the bag—

A huge pair of wings split through the bag and bumped her. The bag fully tore open and Leic rose out: the boy's nudity was hidden under a layer of butterfly-like skin with a complex design, and his wings were extravagant while his eyes were a dark, buggish blue. "When I was in there, it made me think this was how a caterpillar feels when it's about to grow into a beautiful butterfly! And then I just had the most amazing idea! I stopped struggling and focused my chi, imagining myself becoming one with the butterflies. And now, I have a whole new ability! I can change into this form if I'm locked in a tight space like that!"

"You just gained that ability on a whim?!" Var exclaimed. "But what good is a butterfly to an orca?!" She flew up and tried to slash Leic, but he swiftly dodged and burst a cloud of pollen from his body. Var choked in the cloud for a moment and flew out. Sylistys stretched a boney hand and grabbed Leic's neck, but his buttery skin slipped from her grasp. He conjured a swarm of butterflies to latch both monsters; thousands of the bugs cluttered and weighed them down. Var mustered the strength to rip them off her, and she flew to stab Leic, but he stabbed his own sword up her mouth and willed hundreds of cocoons to grow inside. The next moment, Var was vomiting butterflies.

Eggman's half-robotic eyes could only barely sense the angel. "Seems we have a bug problem. But it looks like the phoenix is finally passed out." He disabled the machine as Dimentia's unconscious body fell. "Scratch, Grounder, get down there and clip her feathers!"

"Yes, Your Egginess!" The robots each held a pair of clippers and climbed down to the machine. "Cuckoo! This would make a cool Halloween costume!"

"I kind of wanna keep it as a pet. You think Dr. Robotnik would let me?" Grounder asked.

"I don't know. Go ask him!"

"But I'm scared!"

"Well, I ain't gonna ask him for ya! Just clip these feathers and—" Dimentia suddenly flipped up to her feet. "CUCKOOOOOO!"

Dimentia's eyes seemed to shine blue: she materialized a swarm of swords and had them zoom around Varcrutis and Sylistys' bodies, severely dicing them. "Leic, let's get out of here!" she spoke with a double-voice that was half-feminine and half-masculine. "We have to recover our energy!"

"Are ya sure it's okay to just leave these guys?"

"We'll face them again later. Just hurry!"

Var ripped two of the swords out and turned them into whips, catching Leic by the neck, but he slipped free again and clung to Dimentia. "I'll take your word for it! Bye!" He lifted and carried Dimentia away quickly, Ascending them to the Spirit World.

"Hmph…" Var's orca features slowly morphed back into her human-like form and clothes.

"Master… I'm feeling a bit hungry." Sylistys said. "I need to return to the Underworld for a quick snack."

Var whipped around and slapped the creation. "If you had just eaten the angel when you were supposed to, they wouldn't have gotten away! Do we have to fix your brain? Is that what the problem is?"

"N-No… I'm sorry, I…I'll act more quickly next time…" Somehow, the very act of apologizing made Sy sick to her stomach.

"Ugh, and now they're going to call backup. I guess we'd better go hide either way. Doctor, we're going to lay low for a bit, but we'll head to Etheria soon. Don't worry, you'll have your weapon~" She opened a rift and pulled Sylistys inside.

"Hoh ho ho…finding good help these days is rare." Eggman calmly stepped onto the inactive machine. He bent down and picked up a tiny bud of a feather. "Yet they bring marvelous wonders to my egg~"

* * *

**Scratch and Grounder are from the old _Sonic_ cartoon, Arale is from _Dr. Slump_, and Jenny and Silver Shell are from _Life as a Teenage Robot_. Generally, Mechanos is home to any and most robot character crossovers.**


	10. The Stolen Truth

**When I played _Smash Ultimate_, I set my Nextgen Kid Miis up against the Phantom Thieves, based on shared attributes. More info can be found on the Gameverse Wiki!**

* * *

**_Chapter 10: The Stolen Truth_**

**Castle Hell**

Kyla York was lain to rest in a guestroom of the castle. While Maria was looking over the woman, Sandman and Alucard met with Death the Kid in his office. "I'll be happy to watch after your mother, Numbuh 2030… but on another matter, Balder was asking about you earlier. He believes you are trying to collect the Lost Voices against his orders."

"Balder is basing that assumption on a Nightmare. I don't have any of the Lost Voices."

"I see… Well, let's talk about this rescue mission. How did you find out Dracula had your mother in the first place?"

"I can explain that." Alucard replied. "I had received the invitation to the ball from my father. Though I initially declined, I told my landlady, Maria about it and mentioned Kyla York, who was written on the letter. She was pen-pals with one of your operatives, also named Maria, and as she had recently gotten a new teammate named Nolan York, she naturally decided to write to her about this Kyla. As convenient as it was, there was a connection."

"Very well… but how did Dracula end up finding your mom in the first place?"

"He had underworld connections, so he probably paid one of the spirits to go up and kidnap her." Nolan answered. "And since he was in prison with Brain, he probably told her about Kyla. Whatever the reason, I just want her to stay out of his hands."

"Alright, then." Kid shrugged. "Still, even if you were lying about the Voices… I don't even know. The entire situation feels more hopeless by the second. Just be sure to stay out of trouble."

Nolan nodded, walking out of the office with Alucard. They returned to the guestroom to get Maria. "Look, York-san. She seems to be waking up."

Mrs. York groaned slightly and sat herself up. She looked up at the two men standing over her… and was immediately alarmed by Alucard. "AH!" She slapped him. "I will NOT marry you!"

"Mom, he's not Dracula." Nolan informed. "This is Alucard, Dracula's estranged son."

"Oh…oh, Nolan!" She got up and hugged her grown-up son. "It was so awful! I was kidnapped by a man who looked just like you, and suddenly, this mask was forced on my face, and…"

"It's alright, Mom. You can stay here until we have Dracula behind bars again."

"I was being controlled against my will… but I was still somewhat conscious. For a moment, I danced with this man dressed like a skeleton… and he asked me to 'speak' to this purple orb with a song note inside it. He asked me to express my 'love' for Dracula… of course, that was a load of rubbish, too, but I was forced to say it regardless. After a while, he said, 'That should please the spirit,' and he left…"

Nolan thought to himself for a minute. "…I'm sorry you had to go through all that, Mom. Dracula and his accomplices only targeted you to get to me."

"Well, so long as I can rely on my son to rescue me, I don't mind one bit." Kyla smiled. "Well… maybe a little bit. Honestly, Nolan, you really mustn't make-"

"-make so many enemies, yeah." Nolan nodded. "I'll see you later, Mom. These enemies won't bust themselves."

"Hmhm, of course, dear."

The team returned to the carriage as Maria drove them across a valley. "Skull Face made her express her false love to the Voice, in order to please a spirit." Nolan recapped to the others.

"Hmm…wasn't it called the Voice of Unwanted Feelings?" Snake asked. "And her 'feelings' for Dracula were unwanted…"

"I see." Joker followed. "Perhaps each of the Voices needs some sort of trigger. Perhaps a spirit inhabits each of them that need to be awakened."

"When the Lingering Regrets came to life," Maria inputted, "was that the spirit of the Voice, uuu?"

"And I'm thinking the trigger for these spirits are to speak to them." Snake inferred. "That seems to be the running theme here. Nolan's mom had to speak unwanted feelings… and maybe the Lingering Regrets came to life because… Did we ever speak about our regrets?"

"Hmmm…" The best Nolan could think of was not being honest with Snake at first, keeping his intention to open the tower to himself. "There's a chance Ocelot could've done something to it. Does he have any regrets?"

"A lot, I would hope."

"Either way, let's make a plan to search for the last Voice. Maria says it's called the Voice of Stolen Truth."

They heard a jingling, ringing sound. The source was from Joker's phone as he reached to grab it. "Oh, it's from the guys. They've returned to Spirit World."

"Better call Emily while we're at it." Nolan figured.

**Gates of Heaven**

Leic and Dimentia collapsed on the ground after their hasty return. The young angel gasped for breath as his skin morphed back into a normal, peach color. "Hu-!" he gasped in embarrassment, covering his private parts with his wings since he was still without a robe. "Phew, that was a really intense moment… Haha, we barely got outta there, Dimentia!"

"Now that we have a moment," she spoke with two voices, "I should finally introduce myself. My name is Plex, the one Dimentia's been speaking to."

"The… Imaginary Friend? Ohhhhh!" His eyes widened in realization. "Now I get it! You're a split personality!"

"Once again, inaccurate. At any rate… I would like to thank you for the help you've given Dimentia. We apologize for dragging you into our conflict with the Daemonis, but you needn't trouble yourself, anymore. I'm going to come there in person with another partner of mine, and we'll subdue both Varcrutis and Sylistys."

"But I wanna help, too." Leic stood up, covering his rear with one wing and his front with the other. "Plus, we can't just go look for them when we're so exhausted. There's a nice bath in the First Church, it'll freshen you right up!"

"I think we're going to bring Dimentia home for now, she can rest up in safety and comfort, then we'll come back with more reinforcements."

"But we're so close to beating them! We can do it!"

"I appreciate the sentiment, young man, but right now, we need more than just a ragtag group to deal with them. Especially since now we have to prove ourselves-"

"Prove?" Dimentia blinked, suddenly speaking in her normal voice. "Plex, I know that most of the KND can't stop them right now, but they can't all be busy, just look at Leic and the others from Mechanos."

"You know what I meant." The monotone voice quickly interjected.

"No I don't, what was that earlier about 'proving ourselves'?" Dimentia spoke more firmly. "I was fine with tracking down Sylistys because I thought we were just doing our jobs, but not all of those places really needed us, did they?"

"Perhaps not, but wouldn't letting this slide-?"

"I know what Balder said, but he only said so because we all thought no one else was available, but that's obviously not true."

"That's…!"

"Even more so, Plex, I'm not sure bringing backup would even be helping. I think that woman doesn't think us capable of protecting ourselves… and more Phoenios help is gonna prove that point of hers."

"You can't mean to face them again. It's not like a little bath is going to suddenly make you stronger."

"That's for me to decide, Plex. Besides, Var is probably afraid of backup arriving, so they're going to be recovering their stamina as well. We have time to do the same. For now, you're not to send any backup or come here yourself. Let the sweet angel boy guide us to the church. Supreme Leader's orders."

"S…Supreme Leader?"

"Hehehe!" Dimentia grinned. "The former GKND leader can't just leave a naked boy all alone! Some habits don't go away~"

"I…I…I really don't understand you sometimes. Sigh…fine. There must be something brewing in that head of yours. Alright… lead the way, Leic."

The angel smiled and took Dimentia's hand, leading the grown-up(s) along innocently. "For a split personality, you sound like a protective boyfriend, Mr. Plex!"

"Don't be silly…"

"Anyway, you'll love the church's bathroom. There's all kinds of soaps and bubbles and it's fun to watch them float around. Mr. Landers really loves it, too!" This comment made Dimentia's face cringe. "Heehee, he always makes sure I'm perfectly clean!" She cringed more. "He checks for tiny bits of dirt in my hair," cringe, "and my toes," cringe, "and makes sure every inch of me is shiny and squeaky!"

". . . . . . . . . . Leic, does the Spirit World have child services?"

"Whaddya mean?"

"I just think… we may need to call them sometime…"

**Underworld**

Varcrutis and Sylistys located a Dark Spring in one of the caverns of the hideout. The Daemonis relaxed in it while Sy helped herself to a stash of elemental spirits. "Hmmm…still can't sense if any of them have arrived." Var said to herself. "Then again, if we're using this place to interfere with their sensors, it obviously wouldn't work in reverse. We may need to do some proper scouting before this mission. There are basically five targets we're after, guarded by a ton of KND brats. Defeating them won't be a problem, but we still need to do it swiftly. Still, the Phoenios shouldn't know we're targeting Etheria, yet, so maybe we can drop you off on another planet, at a place with tons of bones. You could set up a nice little diversion while Eggman and I handle the tricky part."

"So, that woman and I… we're a 'Positive' and a 'Negative.'"

"That's what you used to be, but not anymore. If you ate her or killed her or something, you would still be alive. Then again, the Coincidence Factor works in unexpected ways beyond just mortal lifespans, so who even knows. Still, you should be fine."

"It occurs to me, Master… you are determined to take whatever you can from this universe, from materials to new servants. If I was taken from this universe to be made into a powerful weapon, it sounds like I'm a valuable commodity."

"…" Var narrowed her eyes. "What are you trying to say?"

"I was only thinking, it'd be awful if anything bad happened to me. So, if I'm in danger, it'd be your job to protect me."

"Hyou're asking me to protect you?" Var cracked a smirk, her brow twitching. "I'm not your shield. A weapon who can't fight for herself to her last breath is no good weapon at all."

"Even if I'm not strong, I'm still valuable. While you're struggling to take useful materials from this place, I'm the best and only weapon your superiors managed to acquire. You should appreciate all that I am and ensure that I remain yours."

"Are you trying to blackmail me or something?" Var climbed out of the spring, marching up to Sy in a strict, imposing fashion. "Just trying to make yourself feel self-important? Don't even think of trying to order us around. If it weren't for the 'powers that be,' I'd make this whole universe my servant."

"Everyone except that robot girl."

Var's head throbbed; she snatched Sy up by the collar. "Don't test me, Sylistys. It's true, you are an important weapon, but slowly and surely, we'll get more, and you'd best show your loyalty if you hope to stick around."

"…Fine." Sy replied with a simple, toneless demeanor. "You know, it's strange…" She calmly picked Var's hand off her and walked away. "Even though I don't know a thing about this world… I feel something. The word 'End' keeps popping up in my mind. And when I connect it with this world… I feel the strange desire… to 'end' it. Like I want to destroy everything."

"Nothing wrong with that." Var smiled and shrugged. "Just leave some things for us to collect."

"End…end…end… What about you, Var? Does that word mean anything to you, in this place?"

Var put a finger to her chin. "It… _does_ make me think of something. In fact… it's the perfect place where you can find a lot of bones. Perhaps that place should be your diversion. It's called…"

**KND Moonbase**

Haru Okumura lay on a hospital bed as Haruka Dimalanta stuck a syringe into her neck and withdrew a slight bit of blood. She dipped the blood under a microscope and zoomed in. She could make out a strange cell with a purple, morphing shape. "It didn't show up on the X-ray at all. With the way it glows, maybe it is some kind of spirit."

"Oh, dear." Haru sighed. "That could only mean Skull Face found my real body and implanted it. I hope I . . . . !" She began flailing her arms, trying to shout, but nothing came out.

Haruka gasped. "There must still be some in there. Maybe they're designed to react if someone tries to interfere with them. Don't worry, we'll fix this. But I wonder… if I could get Kirie to help somehow. She's able to communicate with spirits. Well, usually Rainbow Monkey spirits, but it's a start."

Haru wrote on a notepad, _I'm sorry to trouble you so._

"It's no trouble at all! Besides, we're really glad you came to tell us all this. We were starting to wonder why a lot of adults were losing their voices…"

"D'OOOOOOOOOHHHH…" There was a sudden, startling bellow from outside.

On the bridge, Ryuji was laying on the floor with his gut dented. "Dammit… the power of the Pirate King… is incomparable!"

"Hee hee hee hee!" Sheila Frantic planted her foot on him in victory. "You got a passionate spirit, but ya've yet to fire your first cannon!"

"Ryuji, how many times do I have to tell you to behave yourself?!" Makoto shouted, standing with Cheren.

"It's okay, we like a good, friendly brawl." Cheren replied. "Still, picking a fight with Sheila is unwise to everyone here."

"Just what we need, another boy trying to own the top spot." Karin remarked.

"I wouldn't have let him share with me, anyway~" Jinta smirked.

"Keep dreaming, boyo." Karin cocked her head at him, smirking.

"This is rather symbolic." April Goldenweek said, painting an image of the historical Captain Kidd falling before a pirate named Shanks from the same era.

"Do you suppose she is a reincarnation?" Yusuke asked, painting an image of Sheila standing under a larger Shanks, pirate ships and flames to the sides, while the main subjects were against the sun.

"Maybe. …That's an incredible painting."

"I could say the same about yours. From whom did you learn to paint?"

"Myself. I kind of grew up a natural."

"Most outstanding." Yusuke smiled.

"Anyway," Cheren said to Makoto, "we'll be sure to contact you when Haruka figures something out. Although… since you're not Spirit KND, I feel the need to ask for details about you."

"Let's just say we're the same as KND operatives, just from a vigilante perspective. We may be small-time, but we believe in a brighter future."

"Sounds trustworthy enough to me!" Cheren grinned. "But is this your whole group?"

"We have four other members, but that's all I'll say."

"Boom!" Futaba cheered, sitting with Carol at a computer station. "That's how you hack President Mom's robo-porn website!"

"I gotta say, you have a real knack for this…" Carol replied simply.

"Ohhh, Ann-chan, I could just curl up and take a nap in this hair!" Aeincha cheered, wrapping herself in one of Ann's pigtails like a cocoon. Only the face of the little Lilliputian stuck out. "You're the kind of girl who would look cute in any outfit!"

"Aww, thanks, Aeinchan!" Ann beamed.

"I coincide with her deduction." Vweeb said, having made a hammock in Ann's other pigtail. "This hair flows perfectly with your outgoing personality, your short shorts and tank-top show that you aren't afraid to express who you are, and the trimness of your legs and abdomen display a very healthy lifestyle."

"WHERE THE HECK DID YOU COME FROM?!" Her eyes popped out in surprise.

"I'm a professional ladies' man. I got a good feeling about each of you newcomers, so I did my analysis and formed a thesis on each of you."

"Nwuuuuh…" Ann's face fell.

"What's the thesis for me?" Futaba asked earnestly.

**Underworld**

"So, things are going well up there." Nolan smiled after Joker recapped the phone call. "That's good. Anyway, I called Emily, and she said that they have important news about Maria's family. They're going to come down here and meet us by the Coast of Fallen Angels."

The Coast of Fallen Angels was an extensive beach of white sand, on which the Sanzu River brushed. Giant crosses were stationed around the water, and giant angels with dark wings were strapped on them. There was an enormous island in the distance; in actuality, it appeared to be a gigantic, white head fallen sideways and smirking. A moon loomed over the beach and had a red strip across it.

Despite the rather eerie and foreboding nature of this beach, there were a few demons casually chilling here. Maria drove her carriage far away from them. They saw a ghost descending from the sky, carrying a bulky butler. Emily and Gohda landed on the beach, and the butler's expression appeared frantic as he ran up to Nolan's group.

"York-san, this is really awful. The Ushiromiyas… th-they were kidnapped! They were kidnapped by Skull Face! !"

"What?! He found our treehouse?!" Nolan outbursted.

"Gohda took me to all the places the family liked to visit." Emily explained. "We couldn't find them, so we decided to return to the treehouse to see if they might've been hiding. Luckily, the Angels seemed to be absent, so we went to Maria's hidden room… and it was only then that Gohda found a note tucked under a stuffed doll."

"Here it is." Gohda handed a paper to Nolan.

_This is a curious room you had hidden in here, Sandman, but nothing remains hidden through Valentine's resources. I don't know who these little people are, but we have captured them. If you wish to see them alive, steal the Lost Voice from the Labyrinth of Deceit in the Ghost Zone, and bring it to me._

The note was marked with a skull. "It's just like with your mother." Joker noticed. "Valentine created a clone of you to find your treehouse. Man, his ability is annoying."

"Your mother… Mr. York?" inquired Gohda.

"We have to save them!" Maria shouted. "We have to save Maria's family, uu-uuu!"

"So, he's pulling the same stunt he did with Haru." Nolan said. "Well, we were going to search for the Voice, anyway."

"Hold on, Sandman." Snake said. "Why does Skull Face need you to steal the Voice for him, anyway? He had no problem stealing two of them."

"Except at one point," Joker intervened, "he needed Morgana's ability to reach one of the Voices because of how it was hidden. Perhaps this is a similar scenario?"

"I actually know about the Labyrinth of Deceit." Emily mentioned. "It's a dungeon in the Acropolis of Athens, an island that was Medusa's territory. Thanatos and Pandora lived there, too; in fact, Pandora herself designed the dungeon."

"A dungeon made by the Goddess of Chaos? No wonder he would be afraid to go in there."

"But you succeeded in stealing the other Voices just the same." Gohda replied. "Even if he took two of them back, perhaps that is why he is trying to use your skill, York-san."

"We can't do this." Snake stated. "He still has the other three, we can't risk him getting the last one."

"But what about Maria's family?!" the child cried.

"If we just leave it be, Skull Face will grow impatient and find the Voice himself." Nolan said. "We'll retrieve it… and we'll find Maria's family afterwards."

"Are you sure, York-san?"

"Absolutely."

Snake released a sigh. "Fine. Then where is this Labyrinth of Deceit place?"

"I have no idea. I've never been to the Ghost Zone. I don't even know how to get there from here. …?" All eyes fell to Emily.

"M-ME?!" The woman jumped.

"You just said you knew about it. And you're the biggest ghost fanatic I know. Surely, you must know every corner of the Ghost Zone by now."

"Y-Yeah, I know where the island is, but I've never gone into Pandora's labyrinth. And even then, I don't wanna be involved in this mission!"

"Please, Emily-chan." Gohda begged with hands folded. "This is not just about the Voices, but Maria-chan's family. Surely, you can at least guide us to the labyrinth?"

"Ugh…fine. And you know what, I may as well stay to help you fight through it. For all I know, my family is being threatened, too. I'm reaching a point where I just wanna… SOCK Skull Face in his stupid face!"

"That's what I like to hear." Nolan smiled. "Skull Face and his lackeys may be strong, but they'll be nothing when both the KND and Divine Angels come after them. Once they see how desperate the situation is, the Angels will have to let us help them."

"It's only desperate because we've been constantly baited into his traps." Snake reminded.

"Are you going to help us or not, Snake?"

"I'm not just coming to help, I'm coming to make sure nothing goes wrong." Snake looked Nolan in the eye with gritted teeth. "Got that?"

"…" Nolan was unsure what Snake was implying, yet it almost seemed the soldier didn't trust him for some reason. "Nothing will go wrong."

"Ahem…well then." Gohda coughed. "Shall we go?"

**First Church**

A fluffy blanket of bubbles covered the great, round basin that served as Dimentia and Leic's bath. The pool was round, but divided by a line through the middle with the main fountain in the center (the bath was shaped like a Pokéball). There were knobs around the fountain to turn on soap, creating all kinds of colorful, flavorful bubbles. Leic, adorned in a coat of bubbles, blew some into the air. As the bubbles floated about, little beady-eyed spirits took shape in them, dancing around before the bubbles would pop.

"I feel my woes fading already." Dimentia sighed in bliss. "And I still don't sense Sy or Var doing anything. Next time we see them, we'll definitely win."

"I still don't understand why you won't allow us to come help you." Plex stated. "Sylistys may be a technical denizen of this world, but Var has overstepped her boundaries, and she's way out of your league."

"And what would it matter if I allowed you to stop her? She's probably used to that by now. It wouldn't teach her anything."

"Since when was this a matter of 'teaching' her something?"

"Since the attack on the _Noah_."

"Dimentia, you're basing this off a simple grudge. You can't just seek revenge for the sake of simple satisfact-"

"Leic, use a chi-block attack on this part of my brain." Dimentia pointed.

"What?!" Plex yelped.

"Okay!" And with that, the angel performed a quick, gentle, and precise _punch_ to her head!

Mini Plex poofed away. Dimentia released another sigh and relaxed in the pool. "Overprotective boyfriends really are annoying…"

"Hahahaha!" Leic laughed and swam around her. "Hey, Dimentia, I was wondering… can I see your wings again?"

"Sure! Just don't pluck any feathers off." Dimentia's shining pink wings grew from her back.

"They're so pretty!" Leic happily brushed his hands around the wings. "They have such a fragrant chi! It feels a lot different from the other angels."

"These are the wings of a Phoenios. It's pretty common over there."

"Could I come to meet them someday?"

"I'm not sure if they'd allow you…"

"Why not? I won't touch anything, I promise."

"Hehehe! In that case, I'll ask them!"

Once Leic was done feeling the wings, she hid them again. "I'm about ready to get out now. What about you, Leic?"

"Yeah. I'll go first!"

One after the other, the two left the pool. Leic found himself a new white robe and Dimentia donned her uniform. The chi-block wore off as Plex poofed back into being. "Dimentia, please don't do that again!"

"Then let a girl clear her mind now and then." The two began to exit the bathhouse. "Now, let's start searching for-"

"MISS WINKIEBOTTOM?!" They jumped at the sudden bellow just after exiting the house. To their dismay, they turned to face Lord Balder. "What are you DOING?! Not only are you slacking off on your mission, but you're using our bathhouse without permission?!"

"Leic invited me here! I was really exhausted after fighting the Daemonis, so I needed to recovery my energy."

"Then go back to your masters and use THEIR bathhouse."

"I can't just leave, the Daemonis are still active. But you'll be happy to know I stopped them from hurting anybody."

"'Them'? Are you telling me there are _more_ Daemonis? Oh, I knew your being here was going to attract more. You really are incapable of stopping them, aren't you?"

"She's done a heck of a lot more than YOU have to stop them!" Plex shouted.

"Look, I am going to stop them. Just let me think of a plan."

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're letting them into our universe on purpose."

"Why would we EVER do THAT?!" asked Plex.

"Why would I just let them come here?! I don't want them ruining my home!" Dimentia passed the message.

"It's because you want glory, simple as that. No different from your days as GKND's leader, no different than those phoenixes you now serve!"

"For the last time, I… Wait…" Dimentia processed the last part of that sentence. "It…it's not just me you have a problem with, is it? Do you have something against the Phoenios?"

"Ever since His Lordship, God Arceus returned to us, they've been rather frequent visitors. Some of them would visit every year during the anniversary of our Lord's return, on which we hold a tea party for the gods. Now, when I was first admitted as an Angel, I learned of them from the other gods, how they once visited our world and befriended Arceus. At the time, I didn't think much of them… but it was only after they started visiting did I truly see how _arrogant_ they are."

"Arrogant?!" Plex argued. "Look who's talking! I oughta come down there and knock you down a peg!"

"What do you mean they're arrogant?" Dimentia asked.

"They have no respect for the gods or their ideologies. They think their selves as 'higher than the omniverse' and believe they deserve everything! Some of them wanted to be involved in Galactic Council meetings, even though gods are not allowed to involve their selves in matters between mortals."

"They only wanted to study!" Plex argued.

"They probably just wanted to study!"

"No, they want worshippers." Balder stated. "They want our people to turn away from the gods who created their world and join their side! Just as they did to you. They tainted you with their power, regardless of the gods' permission, and they would probably do the same to others."

"That's balderdash!" Plex yelled.

"That's balderdash!" Dimentia repeated.

. . . . . . . . .

It took a moment for them both to realize that was a pun. Embarrassed, Plex cleared his throat and said, "We do not just make people Inviere on a whim! Dimentia's transformation was completely unplanned!"

"My transformation was an accident. They don't just do this to people whenever they want."

"You're rather silent between your responses." Balder noticed. "Are you trying to remember what your masters ordered you to say?"

"I-I just need to think! Look, everything you're saying is wrong. They don't want worshippers, and if nothing else, they probably just want to be appreciated for their work. It doesn't mean that they don't respect the gods."

"Hardly! During one of the dinners, one of the Phoenios named a bunch of different god-killing weapons from various universes, saying they wouldn't stand a chance!"

"Excuse them for sharing a bit of knowledge!" Plex argued, but Dimentia couldn't carry the message before Balder spoke again.

"And another one boasted that the elemental styles of our universe were inferior to theirs."

"Perhaps you could learn some new techniques!" yelled Plex.

"And you know, Miss Winkiebottom, one of the gods' most sacred beliefs is that mortals are the true power of the universe. It is the gods' job to give mortals hope and to let them settle their own conflicts. Even if a god must defend their self, the mortal must always be the stronger power. Lord Kyogre explained this philosophy to the Phoenios… and one of those _birds_ had the gall to call him PITIFUL!"

"THAT is a complete LIE!" Plex bellowed.

"That…that doesn't sound right." Dimentia replied. "They wouldn't say something like that, they…"

"They have you wrapped by their leash, by the sound of it. You were always disrespectful to the gods, Dimentia, and your phoenix friends are no different!"

"YEAH?!" Plex was fuming in anger. "Well, if your gods hate the Daemonis so much, why don't they fight them their selves instead of making US do the work?! It's not like they're gonna do anything because obviously it's OUR job! And it's not like the Daemonis are outside their legal zone! If your gods would just be a little more assertive, then bad things like Skull Face or Davy Jones would never freakin' happen! AND YOU'RE AS LAZY AS THEY ARE!"

Plex panted to catch his breath. …There was an eerie silence in the air. Did he say too much for Dimentia to carry in one response? When he looked up at his partner… he was met with Dimentia's cold stare. As if… an aura of supreme authority had just come over her. "D…Dimentia?"

"Miss Winkiebottom?" inquired Balder.

"…You're right." The words escaped her mouth in a whisper.

"Beg pardon?"

Dimentia faced the Divine Angel. "You're right… I didn't respect the gods. Not back then. But that all changed, 24 years ago. And that's why… that Phoenios had _no_ right to say that."

"D-Dimentia!" Plex panicked. "It's not true! He's completely misunderstanding!"

"As a matter of fact, Balder…" Dimentia folded her arms, "I don't think they have any respect for us. While I was with them, some of them doubted the KND's abilities. Some thought they couldn't beat The Thirteen. Some thought they had to manage the Hoopa situation. They even thought the KND couldn't handle Queen Sherbet after she possessed Sweetopia. Hell, the only reason I made that Vistium weapon was 'cause some of them were panicky and I wanted to shut them up. They thought they needed to help the KND, but in reality, they just wanted to mooch off their victory. You're absolutely right, Balder."

"No he's not! Dimentia, why…" Plex felt his little heart cracking. "Why are you… telling him these lies?"

"Even after my daughter's spectacular performance against Thanos, some of them think it to be inferior spacebending. My own daughter, how insulting."

"That never happened!"

"Heck, my own partner didn't even have faith in me to not break the rules or to handle this mission! He lodged a part of his conscience in my brain just to 'help' me, and he thought Leic wouldn't have been helpful in the slightest."

"B-But…but…" Plex felt there was no way to stop her at this point.

"They're probably so used to defending people from the Daemonis and saving universes they deem 'weak' that they forgot how to have faith. They could learn a lesson or two from the KND's ideals of equality. You know that there are actually some Daemonis hybrids in their ranks? And they're not evil, either, but some Phoenios have a hard time accepting that."

"Miss Winkiebottom…" Balder was flabbergasted by this dramatic change.

"But honestly, Balder, your faith in the KND is no different." Dimentia sighed. "You banned them from the Skull Face mission. Just because the KND started out with me, it doesn't mean…"

"You misunderstand… Miss Winkiebottom." Balder bowed his head. "Just as the gods believe in the power of mortals… so, too, do I believe in them, and the KND alike. They are truly marvelous heroes, for the many years that I've observed them, even under your corrupt leadership. They were capable of anything. And that is why, after the Spirit KND was created… that I began to fear for myself. I feared for my… usefulness… I feared their power…"

"…" Dimentia smiled and approached him. "I don't know if those things the Phoenios said are true… but they aren't all like that. Some of them do respect our gods and acknowledge our power. But it's clear that both Phoenios and Daemonis alike still have a lot to learn."

"Yes…" Balder looked up at her. "Perhaps they do…"

"Until then… we both still have missions to complete. I'll leave you to yours." Dimentia walked past him, calmly leaving the church. Leic jogged after her, sparing a look to his superior. "Oh, and, you should call child services, I don't think Mr. Landers has been treating Leic very well."

As they marched down the church stairs, Mini Plex somberly floated near his partner. "Dimentia… why would you tell him all that? Why would… you make us look bad?"

Dimentia passed him a bright smile. "Well, I wasn't getting anywhere doing what you told me. You may not think his accusations were true… but maybe it is true in his perspective. In his view, the Phoenios were insulting our home… and frankly, I wouldn't stand that either."

"But, I… we would never. You couldn't possibly think that's true."

"I know that's not the case, because I've been with you guys long enough to understand your rules and everything. I was just trying to get out of that loop and it's faster to give him a good shock rather than do what he'd expect us to do, which would be arguing until Secco freezes over." Dimentia nodded to herself at her brilliant thinking. "But there is something I need to discuss with you, because I get the feeling that this whole thing isn't about following the Phoenios' rules. Plex, I get the feeling that you've been more invested in this than even I am. What did you mean when you said that we needed to 'prove ourselves'?"

"I only meant that we needed to uphold our end of the job and responsibly carry out our duties without flaw so that others wouldn't harbor doubts against us."

"Don't lie to me, Plex, I can feel it through the bond. You're really agitated by this so much that you're bending the rules. You! Of all people!"

"Ngh! I was just trying to stand up for our side as you should have been!"

"No, you're the one that's close to ruining everything while I'm the one putting out _your_ fires! Just what the hell is wrong with you?!"

"…You know what? _Fine_. If I'm so bothersome to you, then you can fix this without me." Mini Plex then disappeared from her view.

After taking a minute to calm down, Dimentia sighed while taking a seat on the ground with her arms on her knees. "Umm…Dimentia? Are you going to be alright?" Leic asked as he approached her with a hand placed delicately on her shoulder.

"I was just trying to see what was bothering Plex so much. It's just not like him to take the spotlight so strongly like he did, I guess I was still riled up with Balder that I ended up taking things too far." Dimentia spoke somberly as she placed a hand on her face.

"So, what're we gonna do?"

Closing her eyes for a bit, Dimentia searched her mind, but couldn't find who she was looking for. She then opened her eyes determinedly. "I want you to knock me out."

"Uh, Dimentia, I know you're upset, but getting beat up is never the answer!" Leic waved his hands frantically.

"No, I mean just put me to sleep." Dimentia quickly reassured him. "I can't get Plex right now because he's too far for me to reach, but if I'm unconscious, then I might be able to find him!"

"Oh…okay!" Leic beamed as he then gave the Inviere a tap on the head, striking her at the precise spot. Dimentia immediately passed out on the floor. "Huurrrr!" The little angel struggled to lift the grown woman, hauling her off to a side room before anyone else came along.

**Dimentia's mind**

The colors swirled around her as she fell through her various mental landscapes, recounting all the memories of her mortal life and after life. Some of the larger ones she had known quite well, such as her time in her 20-year home on Star Haven, the Moonbase with which she had spent her days hanging out with her friends, and the expansive landscapes of the Phoenios homeworld. The other smaller ones were more fleeting and obscure, either due to a distinct dislike of them or a bare remembrance of their details. Further and further she flew past them, feeling with her bond for any sign of Plex, hoping he could've stayed in some deep landscape rather than fleeing her mind entirely.

Then she felt it, a small and faint heartbeat. She latched onto it like a lost sailor to the faint illumination of a lighthouse. She traced the feeling until she saw one of the larger landscapes, this one from Phaera Plinam.

She landed on the lightly-dewed soft grass, the night sky glistening with stars and celestial bodies like diamonds against silken black velvet. Dimentia looked around with recognition as she knew this spot, one of the few places that held so vividly in her heart.

It was the spot where she had brought Plex as a way to break him from his strict working routine, just outside the buildings of the Court of Mind in the larger lawns. A place of solitude mainly due to the lack of denizens for the Court in comparison to the others, a quiet place for stargazing and more than one nightly cuddle sessions.

Dimentia walked slowly across the field, their bond growing stronger and in that potency she felt more: a lingering sadness that reflected regret and loneliness. It was then that she stumbled upon Plex, only this time in his full body frame instead of the smaller version.

"I guess I should be glad that you aren't hiding behind a stack of paperwork." Dimentia chuckled lightly.

"Well, this part of me isn't." Plex responded still facing away from her.

The female Phoenios sat down beside him. "Plex, I'm sorry I got mad at you, but please tell me what's wrong? You may as well be an ice sculpture from how cold your end was, and I know it's not your usual kind of frostiness."

"…"

"I know this isn't really about the Phoenios, is it? The way you were acting towards Balder seemed more personal than that, I was even worried you'd take me over and start pummeling him right then and there."

"Actually, you're not that far off. That thing with Balder… I was really angry about what he said about us. How he made us sound like some unwanted rat on his doorstep, and how he'd threatened you so badly." Plex turned to her as he moved his legs to a folded position underneath him. His face still didn't meet hers, but rather towards the ground. "It just… reminded of back when everyone didn't want me around, even though they never voiced it." His hands then curled in his lap. "I guess hearing it out loud, albeit just the tone rather than the direction, just pulled me back into trying to… prove him wrong. Just shove it in that stuffy face of his."

"Oh, Plex… " Dimentia sighed softly, placing her hands on his cheeks to lift him up gently. "I get where you're coming from, I really do, but going Gung-Ho and scrapping up all the rewards isn't going to be any better. Neither is having your nose up high where your brains should be and being prissy about who can handle what, in all your attempts to 'prove' yourself better than Balder, you're just about as thickheaded as he is." She then released her hands before flicking his forehead.

"Urk! …Sigh, I suppose I still haven't really opened up as much as I thought I did, especially if something like this was all it took to bring me down again. That's your ice sculpture for you, rigid and dense." Plex said as he rubbed the red spot forming on his head.

"Well, that's why you'll always have me to warm you up!" Dimentia exclaimed, hugging him tightly.

"Hmm, thank you." Plex said softly as he hugged her back. "So, do you… know how I can fix this?"

They both let go as Dimentia leaned back in thought. "Well, leaving Sy and Var aside, I think what you really need is a way to build up friendships first. I doubt Balder would be ready to do it, but we can always start with Cheren since he'll always have his hand open. If you're willing to take it."

"Will he really? I got the impression that he wasn't that fond of me back on the _Noah_."

"That's because you were the one with your chest-puffing attitude and being so blunt with your explanations." Dimentia puffed her own cheeks as she stuck out her tongue and poked the tip of her mate's nose. "Just apologize and he'll come around. He's forgiven a lot worse; just ask Sugar or Andrew."

"Heh, it's your universe, so you definitely know best. Alright, I'll do it, but only after we settle things with those unwanted guests." Plex and Dimentia stood up as they held hands. "So, lead the way, Oh Great Supreme Leader."

**First Church**

Dimentia opened her eyes, rising up into a sitting position as she looked about the room she was in. She then noticed that Leic was standing close to a door, the latter turning his head to see her looking at him.

"Oh good, you're awake!" Leic rushed over to her. "I was so worried you'd end up sleeping forever."

"Huh? How long was I out?"

"Well, just only half an hour, but it really felt like a long time! Especially since we almost got found with so many people passing by."

"Aww, I'm sorry I made you worry so much. Listen, once all this is over, maybe I could get you some hot chocolate to make up for it?" Dimentia smiled while rubbing his hair.

"Hehe, OK. But even so, it wasn't that much trouble, 'cause we're friends!"

"Right we are, all three of us!"

"You mean you made up with your other self?" Leic asked, happy that Dimentia managed to find who she wanted.

"Yep, and I think it's time for you and I to properly meet." Mini Plex appeared before cupping his hands over Leic's eyes. "No more of this 'Mr. Personality,' 'Imaginary Friend,' or what have you." The mini Phoenios then flew in front of Leic.

"Huu! So that's who you've been talking with, Dimentia? He's so small like a doll!" The angel boy grabbed both of Mini Plex's hands and swung him around.

"AAHH! Release me immediately! I can only spare so much energy doing this with two people!"

"Whoops, sorry." Leic let go as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. Plex drifted for a bit before hiding behind a chuckling Dimentia.

"Ha…Okay you two, we don't have much time so make up now." Dimentia pulled her mate from behind her and brought him closer to Leic.

"Mmm, I'm Plexiodorite Aviluxus and Dimentia's mate." Plex introduced himself promptly.

"I'm Leic Spirithive, Spirit KND operative and proud member of Nega-Sector $!" The smiling boy reached out and shook Plex's hand gleefully, the latter swinging widely before he was released from Leic's grip.

"Ermh! Now that we've all gotten to know each other, what's the plan, Dimentia?" Plex readjusted himself.

"Well, I was actually thinking of that talk from earlier… it actually gave me a pretty good idea." A smirk found its way on her features. "Yeah… it would actually be perfect. We just need to set it up properly."

…

Inside the church, Balder merely stared at his left hand. "But that wasn't the only thing I feared…"

**Ghost Zone**

Beyond the Coast of Fallen Angels, and beyond the fallen head island that served as its landmark, there was a cluster of swirling clouds with a green center. A road crossed the sea from the left point of the coast, on which Maria's carriage could drive. Emily flew ahead of them, shooting down Hollows that tried to impede their progress. "So, that's why you wanted to meet at the coast." Nolan said. "An entrance to the Ghost Zone was nearby."

"Yes." Gohda replied. "We would have had to come here to find the last Voice, anyway. But how dreadful that Skull Face thought to use us first."

"Still, since the family was missing during the time the Angels were searching the treehouse, then Skull Face would've had to kidnap them at least after our battle with Ocelot. It was only then they should've learned we were trying to oppose his plan. And at the same time, he was plotting the situation with Haru and my mother."

"Y-Yes, but didn't you say Valentine had made a clone of Skull Face as well?" Gohda asked in a mild, nervous manner. "Perhaps that is how he is managing so many operations, right?"

"But it's still unusual why he's making me steal the Stolen Truth Voice in particular."

"Y-York-san, you're going to get a headache from so much thinking. Here, feast on this Soothing Cinnamon Egg." Gohda held out a plate with an egg that glittered with the sweet substance. "You'll never guess what's inside~"

Nolan took a bite of the egg. Already, he felt some of the worries leave his heart. "Mmm…weird combo, delicious outcome."

The road would slope up, leading directly into the swirling clouds. The bright green swirl took the form of a portal, and they would be engulfed in its light.

The Ghost Zone was an expanse of black and dark-green. There were a countless number of islands of varied landscapes or buildings, as well as floating doors that led into ghosts' invisible "houses." The dizzying, bizarre sights of this world would surely have anyone lost, but Emily guided them without hesitation, confusion, or halting. No doubt she knew the Ghost Zone like the back of her hand.

They were nearing a mountain-like island with several large, white, Greek-like temples built around it. "That's the Acropolis of Athens." Emily informed.

"That's where the Voice is hidden?" Snake asked. "Why aren't there any Divine Angels guarding the place?"

"Perhaps they are inside." Gohda assumed. "You must be careful, York-san."

"Maria has a bad feeling about this place. Uuuu…"

"It is alright, Young Miss. Here, I've made you your favorite tea." Gohda stepped out of the dollhouse and handed Maria the drink.

The child took a sip of the tea. "Thanks, Gohda-san. Maria feels…yaaaaawn, soft now."

The others exited the dollhouse, letting their selves float in the realm's space. "I remember where the labyrinth's entrance is from my first time exploring this place." Emily said. "Beyond that, it's gonna be a lot of aimless wandering, so better pack your snacks."

"Alright, team." Nolan affirmed. "Let's head in."

The spirits flew toward the island. Alucard spared a glance to Gohda and Maria before following them.

"Yaaaawwn…Maria is a little sleepy…"

"You've lasted very long, helping Nolan in his mission, Maria-chan." Gohda smiled, holding the child in a comforting embrace. "Would you like to go inside and take a small nap? Allow Gohda to park the carriage somewhere safe. I will awake you once they have returned."

"Yaaaawn…thank you, Gohda-san… Maria hopes…Maria hopes that…" her voice grew softer and quieter. Unable to will herself to stay away, she warped herself into the dollhouse.

"…" With a somber frown, Gohda calmly took the reins of the rocking horse and steered it away. _So, Skull Face already has the other Voices. It would have been ideal if York-san found them all, but it is clear that is not to be. My only option now is to bargain with him. If Skull Face is to collect all the Voices, then he is the only one I can rely on. I will let him have the Stolen Truth… but I will beg him that Maria-chan does not see it. The Truth I have stolen from her…_

* * *

**The Coast of Fallen Angels was based off a certain scene from _Evangelion_, and obviously the Ghost Zone is from _Danny Phantom_.**


	11. Labyrinth of Deceit

**And then we welcome another new crossover to the series!**

* * *

**_Chapter 11: Labyrinth of Deceit_**

**Castle Hell**

Kid sat politely with hands folded as Lord Balder entered his office. Though he tried to bear a stoic expression, he couldn't help but let his eyes scowl.

"Your Majesty… I have come to a decision."

"A decision, Lord Balder?" Kid asked.

"I have decided… to allow the Kids Next Door to assist in the matter with Skull Face, and with securing the Lost Voices."

"Is that so? And why the sudden change of heart?"

"The truth is… there is a reason why I was so desperate to protect the Tower of Babel. Centuries ago, I gathered the Voices myself and opened the tower. I locked a certain secret inside it, a personal, regretful secret that I dreaded anyone finding out. When Skull Face made his threat to open the tower and manipulated Mr. York as he did, I feared you KND would want to open the tower as well and thus discover that secret. But with the way things are progressing, it may be inevitable that the tower is opened, so for the sake of apprehending Skull Face, I will accept your help."

"And you're no longer afraid of this 'secret' getting out?"

"No… I don't believe I am, anymore. I will cross that bridge when it comes."

"Very well. I will send word to the KND. In fact, I've already sent Sector YU to protect Meloetta."

"That is good. As it stands, only one of the Voices should still be in its sanctuary, the others have been taken. We must strengthen forces at the tower for when and if Skull Face comes."

**Mushroom World; The Last Resort**

The Last Resort currently held the record as the largest and most diverse hotel in the Mortal World; ironic, however, as it was built by ghosts. It was commissioned and owned by King Boo, a favorite vacation resort for famous people from all around.

The 14th floor was the Dance Hall, a rather groovy, colorful, disco-themed floor where the guests loved to party the night away. The dance floor was especially packed today, for the resort had invited a very special guest to host the party!

"HEY, all you Goobs!" cheered Don Quixote Sugar, acknowledging the blue ghosts in the crowd. Having already acquired fame as a singer on Coruscant, she had become master of the dance floor as soon as she set foot in here. "Keep on those groovy hoodies, because this song is sure to twist your noodle!"

"But no matter what," followed Meloetta, the Firstborn sharing her spot on the neon tiles, "know that you'll always be 10 out of 10!"

"Now let's dance!"

Music Chi was fluent across the room, stirred by their dancing. Ghosts, Toads, and Koopas were spinning around them like twisters, using either the tops of their heads or backs of their shells as a base.

Meanwhile, upstairs in the Master Suite, Ibara was meeting with King Boo, watching Sugar's dance on a large TV. "Yes, that's the one." Ibara observed Meloetta with a sneer. "Many thanks for luring her for me."

"Many thanks for the five million gold!" King Boo said, his purple tongue drooping from his mouth. "A little chump change never hurt anybody! Just don't target my ghosts with your little device~"

"You have my word. As for the mortal guests, all it will do is stun them for a few hours. Plenty of time to take Meloetta far away." Ibara held Dr. Stone up to his mouth and said, "Target: Firstborn Spirit. 1,000 meters, one second."

In a second, the weapon exploded into a sphere of green aura. Meloetta was immediately frozen into stone. "WAAH!" Sugar tripped on the Firstborn, the dancers stopping with a gasp. "Ow…M-Meloetta?! What happened?! Hey, did anybody see what happened?!"

"Nobody that needs to know, my dear." Ibara smirked. "I'll let you wallow in confusion for a moment while Dr. Stone recharges. You'll be petrified next! I'll have to get far away when that hap-"

"So, THAT'S where you've been hiding, old man!" Ibara gasped, facing the elevator. The one who spoke was a teenage boy with smooth blackish-green hair and a green school uniform, and his name was Yusuke Urameshi. Accompanying him was Jin, a yōkai with thick red hair, a small white horn at the top, long pointed ears, and a white toga with baggy pants. There was a younger boy named Rinku, with brown hair under a puffy, yellow- and red-striped cap, a red shirt with yellow sleeves, and three pink stars under his left eye.

"And just who are you brats?! King Boo, you didn't invite these hoodlums, did you?!"

"As if I would ever." The king stated.

"We don't need permission from the likes of you." Yusuke remarked. "We're Sector YU, and we've been asked to protect Meloetta from Skull Face."

"Yusuke, I bet ya that's the man who turned the Heaven's Hotel residents in ta stone." Jin said in an Irish accent.

"This old fart?" Rinku asked rudely. "Who does he think he is?!"

"Of course, I didn't expect to accomplish this mission without struggle." Ibara said. "But this cautious old man is always prepared for a bout."

"And I couldn't let you brats invade my private suite unpunished." King Boo inferred. "You'll make splendid decorations!"

"SPIRIT GUN!" Yusuke fired a blast of energy from his finger, Ibara dodging. Rinku conjured yo-yos between his fingers and launched them to bind Ibara's arms, hauling the man overhead to slam him into the polished floor. However, Ibara had also tossed Dr. Stone, emitting a small burst that nearly petrified Rinku, but he dodged in time. Ibara slashed Soul Blades from his fingernails to cut the strings, then formed a sturdy white shield to protect from Yusuke's Spirit Gun. Jin used airbending to spin King Boo around, but the king extended his tongue to whip Jin away on the rebound. King Boo created a portrait and tried to suck Jin into it, but Jin stirred the air in his favor and escaped the vacuum.

While confusion still plagued the people of the dance floor, a young, thin woman with a light-pink kimono and light-blue hair tied in a long ponytail approached Sugar. "Miss Sugar, you have to take Meloetta and escape!"

"Who are you?!"

"My name is Botan, I'm part of the Spirit KND. There's a villain trying to kidnap Meloetta! I think they lured you to this hotel to trap you!"

"A trap?! Then let's go!" Sugar lifted the statue and jumped off the stage, shuffling through the crowd to escape the room as Botan followed.

_"Ghosts, don't let them escape! Seize the Firstborn!"_ King Boo ordered through the speakers.

A band of Goobs in hoodies ambushed Sugar and Botan in the hallway. Botan drew an oar and forcefully bashed the ghosts away, while Sugar cut a path through the center with a Song Beam. "They'll trap us on the elevator, so let's take the stairs." Botan suggested. Sugar nodded and kicked open the stair door, gracefully grinding the rails on her slippers.

Ibara grit his teeth and phased through the floor, intending to ambush the ladies on a lower level, but Yusuke tackled him as they crashed on the 12th floor, a pirate restaurant. The teen violently punched Ibara's jaw, but Ibara forced him off with Thrust. "Five meters, one second!" Ibara flew away and threw his weapon at Yusuke—a yo-yo shot down from the ceiling and bounced it against the floor, its explosion touching nobody. Rinku phased from the ceiling and launched more yo-yos from his fingers, but Ibara sliced their strings once more. However, Rinku jumped out of his shoes and lashed yo-yos from between his toes, binding Ibara. Yusuke shot a Spirit Gun through the floor and directed it in a U-turn, coming up from beneath Ibara and blazing past his front to blast him in the chin.

Jin fell from the ceiling and landed on Rinku. King Boo dropped down and smashed them beneath his girth, forcing them down to the 11th floor, the Twisted Suites. Sugar and Botan were trying to navigate the mazey floor when they were stopped by the ghost. King Boo immediately tried to suck them in a painting, but Botan kicked Sugar away and was sucked in herself. Boo spun in Jin's whirlwind and was blown up through the ceiling, and he proceeded to save Botan by breaking the painting.

Yusuke was grabbed by two red, block-shaped ghosts called Hammers, leaving Ibara to fly down lower. He flew down to the 10th floor and found the entrance to the stairs. "10 meters, one minute. Seems like a fair gamble." He set Dr. Stone beside the door, then flew back up to the restaurant. Yusuke had forced the Hammers off with energy blasts, but returned to defending against Ibara's finger slashes. Rinku's yo-yos came up from the floor and wrapped Ibara's ankles, yanking him down to the Twisted Suites and slamming him against a large saw on a magic casket.

Sugar was able to find the stairs and hurried down to the 10th floor. However, while sliding the rail, a green light suddenly burst from the door. "AAAH!" She immediately stopped herself, the light enveloping her legs as they turned a shade of blue. "M-My legs! I can't move—AAH!" She fell off the rail and down the shaft of stairs, crashing on the floor below as Meloetta's statue shattered. "MELOETTA! NO!"

Ibara sensed the explosion and flew down to retrieve Dr. Stone. "Bright Heaven Cannon!" Ibara conjured 10 pink energy spheres that would shoot beams up through the floors to strike the spirits. The man flew lower and found Sugar's hindered form trying to reattach Meloetta's pieces. "Don't worry, my dear! I'll fix her up!" Sugar gasped and blew a Song Beam, but Ibara dodged and quickly latched the stone pieces with Soul Ropes. Making sure he didn't miss any pieces, the man retreated through the walls.

Ibara flew outside the hotel and toward the top, but Botan followed him, riding her oar. Ibara stored Meloetta in a sack and fired Soul Beams that Botan countered. "Return the Firstborn at once!"

"Sorry, sweet cheeks. This old man's late for a meeting!" Ibara struck Pale Lightning, but Yusuke took the hit for Botan's sake.

"Hey, that's no way to treat a lady." Yusuke retorted, blasting a Spirit Shotgun. Ibara conjured a shield to block it, phasing into the top floor.

"Yusuke, I can sense a Ghost Portal inside." Botan said. "He must be planning to escape through that."

"Call the others and let them know! I'll keep chasing him." Yusuke shot after the man and found the green, swirling portal inside the main office, bravely diving inside.

**Mira; Gormott**

Team Rex made their base in the house of their Nopon friend, Tora. Tora's house was located in Torigoth, Gormott, in a rather hidden location. It was suspended on the underside of the village and provided a good view of the Cloud Sea.

Nia was seated in front of a TV communicator, which displayed a black-haired girl named Lin from Sector NLA. _"So, is this dark Core Crystal really Malos's?"_

"No other Core Crystal has that color, it has to be him." Nia replied in a Welsh accent.

"His memories will be all wiped by now." Pyra said. "The question is, who would be a suitable Driver for him?"

"What about Jak?" Rex asked. "His personality seems to fit."

"Mehmeh! Tora terrified of Jak!" Tora exclaimed. The Nopon wore blue overalls with mechanic equipment. "Putting Malos with him lead to great catastrophe!"

"But if someone unworthy tries to link with Malos, they'll be destroyed. Jak is the best chance."

_"We could at least ask Jak if he would consider it."_ Lin replied.

"Um, I was wondering…" Ursula spoke shyly, the young Blade nervously hugging Beary. "Even if Malos does lose his memory… would he really be our friend?"

"We'll rack up those Affinity points eventually." Pyra said.

"Tora make friends with Malos easy!" Tora cheered. "Just look at Tora and Poppi! The best of friends!"

"Even though Poppi do all work for Masterpon." said Poppi, a purple-haired robot girl.

"My Lady!" They turned to the entrance tunnel as Dromarch entered. He was a white tiger Xenoblade. "We have visitors."

The team exited the house and found two familiar figures standing outside. Leic was sitting on a table and swaying his feet and Dimentia had her hood up. "Ahem, hello." she greeted awkwardly. "Do you… remember me?"

"'ey, it's you!" Rex jumped, as did his teammates. "That lady… from the top of Gormott!"

"Mehmeh! This the evil woman friends mentioned?" Tora asked.

"I'm not evil!" Dimentia quickly defended.

"We know." Rex replied. "You were actually… saving KOS-MOS, right? She told us. We're… sorry for attacking you."

"You aren't mad at us, are you?" Ursula asked.

"Nah, of course we're not mad!" Leic walked up and patted Beary's belly. "Haha! I love your polar bear!"

"Thank you… Would you like me to show you his sweet spot?"

"Gladly!"

"Heheh…" Dimentia chuckled. "Anyway… I've been chasing around the culprit, the one who kidnapped your friend, and I learned that she's working under someone else. To put it bluntly, I need your help to stop them."

"You want our 'elp?" Nia asked.

"When you were chasing me earlier, I sensed powerful chi inside that girl." She pointed at Pyra.

"Well, yeah." Rex replied. "Pyra's an Aegis, one of the legendary Blades created by the Architect."

"The Architect?"

"You know, the spirit who watches over Alrest? You really aren't from around here, are ya?"

"Well, it makes sense why she has that power."

"But why do ya need our help, anyway?" Nia asked. "How do we know this isn't some sort of trap? We know we misunderstood the first time, but that doesn't mean…"

"It's not a trap, I really do need your help! I'm really not strong enough to beat that woman's boss on my own, but you guys are a different story. If you guys can help me beat them, we may be able to stop them for good. Stop them from hurting anybody else."

"Alright, then. We'll help you!" Rex replied cheerily.

"Seriously, Rex, just like that?" Nia asked.

"She saved KOS-MOS, so we can't just refuse. 'Always help others that help you.' That's the second rule of the Salvager's Code! Besides, all our other side quests are fetch quests, this sounds way more exciting."

"Hehehe!" Ursula giggled as she and Leic tickled a spot on Beary's back. "See, Beary loves it when you scratch this spot!"

"I have a ticklish spot, too!" Leic replied.

"Leic, that really shouldn't be a conversation starter." Dimentia said. "So… you'll help?"

"Mehmeh! Stranger should not ask for help without first giving name!" Tora shouted.

"My name? Well, the thing is, I'm sort of a spirit warrior who fights interdimensional evil. And my name is… PHOENIX ANGEL!" Dimentia sported a proud smile and posture.

"Ph-Phoenix Angel?! That so cool!"

"Poppi is speechless!"

"What kind of dorky name is that?" Nia asked.

"Heheh!" Dimentia laughed. "Anyway, I'll tell you guys about who we're up against…"

After the briefing, Dimentia and Leic parted ways with the group and flew to the Gormott Plains. "So, have we gotten everyone that we need?" Plex asked.

"Not yet. They'll only be the first part of Var's lesson. We also need… a proper instructor."

**Ghost Zone**

The entrance to the Labyrinth of Deceit was located under a statue of Pandora, with four arms, one holding a spear, and armor with a purple flame on the helmet. Leading her friends, Emily Dickson was the first to step down the stairs. "Why are you making me lead? I already said I've never been down here."

"You're still the ghost expert. We need you to Tattle them all." Nolan remarked.

"Oh, bullocks."

"It feels rather normal so far." Joker said. "Do our phones still reach down here?"

"Let's see." Nolan tried to call Maria on his communicator, but all he heard was static. "Hmm…no, I'm not getting anything."

"My phone has no reception either."

The group progressed down the stairs in silence for about half an hour. "Isn't anyone noticing a bit of repetition?" Alucard asked.

"Yeah, the island didn't look that deep from the outside." Snake said. "It feels like we would've fallen off by now."

"Interior spaces vs. exterior never really mattered in the Spirit World." Nolan reminded. "Still, this is taking a while."

Joker turned. "Hm? Hey, isn't that the entrance?!"

When the group turned around, they saw that they were only 20 steps down from the entrance. "Seems we're already caught in the labyrinth's trap."

"Then where are we supposed to go?" Snake asked.

"Wait, look!" Emily pointed at one of the side columns. "I see a narrow gap between this column and the wall." She pressed herself against the gap and tried to squeeze through. "I can just… barely—AAAAH!" The wall suddenly flipped around like a revolver door and sucked her in. The group gasped in surprise and entered the "door" after her.

They found their selves in a brighter area, consisting of a gaping wide hallway that was rotating like a giant cog. The hall branched into four paths, which each branched in two paths. "There is NO way we're going to solve this maze." Emily moaned in defeat. "Honestly, you guys had to go after THIS Voice last?"

"If our phones don't work, it feels too dangerous to split up." Joker said. "We should stick together."

"We should also not just choose any path that suits our fancy." Alucard suggested. "There would have to be clues or at least discrepancies like the one we just discovered."

"Oh, there's a discrepancy!" Emily was quick to say, having looked up at the ceiling on an impulse. "Check out that rope!" She flew up to the strange rope hanging on the ceiling and pulled it.

Immediately, a huge hatch opened on the ceiling, dropping five giant balls composed of springs. "DWAH-DWUH-OOF-OW!" The Spring Balls brutally pushed the five along, giving them no time to recover. "I guess it was the wrong discrepancy!" Emily cried as they were pushed toward the rotating halls.

"Hey, grab on or we'll be separated!" Snake shouted.

"I've got you!" Joker grabbed Alucard's coat.

"What sort of blasted trap is this?!" Alucard yelled. "I'm so dizzied, I can't transform!"

"NOLAN!" Emily screamed as he was forced up a hallway on his own.

"Just stay with me for now!" Snake yelled, keeping hold of her. "W-Wait, the floor!"

As soon as they were branched off into the different halls, the floor and ceiling became springs as well, powerfully bouncing them along without giving them a say in the matter. _"I hate mazeeeeeeesss…!"_ Emily's voice echoed from the depths.

**Outside**

Gohda steered the carriage far from the acropolis. He parked it on the flat top of a lone asteroid, roughly 50 square feet with nothing but pointed rocks of varied heights. Gohda approached the tallest rock, even though it wasn't that distinct from the others. Gohda positioned his right arm at an angle, his hand before his chest. He rolled up his sleeve, revealing a wristband. A blue, triangular blade of energy emerged from the wristband.

_My Zanpakutō is called Beatrice. Beatrice allows me to create illusions from lies. If I told someone that I had a sister, and that she was at home, an imaginary sister would take solid form at my house. This ability has several weaknesses. First, the illusions can only be seen by people who were told the lie, but those people can spread the lie around. Second, if people have evidence to contradict the lie, or if they already know, the illusion will disappear before them. I was "given" this power… by the Voice of Stolen Truth._

_"Well, you seem like a handsome little visitor." said Pandora, a blackish-blue flame atop an altar. "What brings you to the depths of my lair?"_

_"Goddess Pandora… I seek the Stolen Truth." Gohda answered. "I need its power… for the sake of my Young Miss's happiness. A terrible thing has happened to our family… and there is no way to rectify it. The least I can do for my Young Miss… is allow her to live her eternity the way she envisioned. At this moment, she believes in a lie. A legend. Her immortal soul is bound to that legend. I sought a way to help that legend become a reality… and my studies led me to the 'Stolen Truth,' a treasure which sleeps in this labyrinth."_

_"You are committed to creating a lie, and ensuring that lie lasts for eternity? What a remarkable, yet difficult goal. But if that's truly your wish… perhaps you may be a suitable vessel for that power. In any case, you have already been lied to. The Stolen Truth doesn't sleep in my lair. That lie was created to deceive poor souls who come seeking it. But because I'm curious… I'll tell you where the real Truth is."_

_Gohda was directed to an asteroid. He opened a hidden compartment on a tall rock, revealing a grouping of small pebble bumps. He pressed those bumps in a certain order, and the tall rock slid open._

_Gohda climbed a ladder down into a green, temple-like chamber. A green orb with a song note sat on an altar. Gohda stepped up and took the orb patiently. He spoke nervously: "The Spirit World… is known as the 'Golden Land.' The Ushiromiya Family and its servants, including myself, were taken here by the Golden Witch, Beatrice. When I return to Maria-chan… I will be with her family."_

_Maria Ushiromiya was blissfully asleep under a tree. "Maria? Maria-chan?"_

_The young witch slowly awoke… "Aaaah!" Before her eyes was Gohda, and behind him were sixteen other people._

_"Maria-chan, we've been searching everywhere for you!" her mother, Rosa shouted._

_"You love to wander off on your own, don't you, Maria?" asked her big cousin, George._

_"You are lucky Gohda was there to find you." said Genji, the head butler._

_"Mama! Battler-san! You all made it! We're all in the Golden Land, uuuuu!"_

_"To think the Golden Land actually existed!" Rosa grinned. "This is quite amazing! Uuu-uuu!"_

Gohda climbed down into the sanctuary, seeing the Stolen Truth still situated on its altar. The butler approached and removed the Voice. He began to climb out of the sanctuary. "Everything was going fine until Maria decided to join the Spirit KND. She formed a sector with that Emily woman, and those Dillon and Corey boys, even if they didn't get too involved with Maria-chan or her family. But because Maria was worried about the current state of her family, unsure if they were in the treehouse or out on a walk, the illusion has been distorted and they disappeared."

Gohda exited the sanctuary and resealed it. "But it doesn't matter… eventually, they would have searched for the Stolen Truth, and it would have spoken my lie before the Tower of Babel. York-san's group has grown too large… and furthermore, Skull Face has most of the Voices. Those noble heroes may not allow me to uphold the lie, but Skull Face may not interfere, so long as he can accomplish his plan. I must protect Maria-chan from the truth… Hm?"

Gohda sensed small bursts of Spirit Chi a couple miles away. Ibara was flying across the Ghost Zone, dodging the blasts of Yusuke's Spirit Gun. "Ten meters, two seconds!" Ibara threw Dr. Stone, but Yusuke flew out of the explosion's range.

"Hey, old timer, why do you never use that thing up close?" Yusuke asked with a smirk. "Would it petrify you, too?"

"You modern boys are awfully persistent and rude." Ibara glared.

"At least I know how to treat a lady! Get back here!" Yusuke fired beams from his feet and flew faster.

Bayonetta dropped from the sky and stamped him under her boots, forcing him against an asteroid. "So, you're a 'ladies' man,' I presume? Well, you'll be happy to know I know how to treat a man~"

"Yes, Bayonetta!" Ibara cheered. "Put those sexy moves of yours to use!"

"You have to pay me to watch, Creep." Bayo retorted before she was pushed off by Yusuke.

Gohda drove the carriage to where he sensed the pressure, recognizing Bayonetta and Ibara. "Those two are Skull Face's accomplices. Yes… perhaps the time is now."

**Labyrinth of Deceit** (Play "Arsenal's Guts" from _Metal Gear Solid_.)

"Draw to life, Phan Art!" Emily drew Johnny Bravo, the muscular man coming to life and socking a centaur in the lower front. Snake shot a missile at the beast's head, then Emily flew behind to grab its tail and slam it on the back. Johnny Bravo leapt to slam his fists in its belly. "You know, I never thought to ask, but where exactly are a centaur's guts located? Also, where are the privates?"

"Who cares, he's a freaking ghost!" Snake shouted, grabbing Emily and running past the monster. "For all I know, they don't have anything."

"As a ghost myself, I kind of beg to differ." Emily inferred. "So, what's your ability, anyway?"

"I don't have a Zanpakutō. All I need are the abilities I'm used to."

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

When they turned a right corner, a giant sponge ball suddenly rolled up and crushed them, smothering them in soap. As they coughed bubbles, they struggled to walk up the sudsy hall, but they slipped as the soap pushed them back like a river. "Let's fly!" Emily lifted Snake and flew up the hallway, though soap bubbles would swell to giant size and attempt to explode against them.

"So, Emily, how long have you known Nolan, anyhow?"

"I knew him for about 23 years, but we never really got close to each other. So, even though I'm not really 'dead' yet, I'm allowed to see him. To give a brief backstory, I was forcibly turned into a ghost mutant by some supervillains."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Thanks, but it was actually pretty amazing! I was a big fan of this show called _Danny Phantom_, and all of a sudden, my dream came true! I adapted to my ghost powers like it was natural!"

Emily landed them on some stairs, but as they raced up, Piranha Plants would randomly pop out of holes and try to bite them, with Snake brutally stomping the plants. "It just feels like there's something wrong with him. Like… he isn't in his right mind."

"He was always pretty complicated from what I remember, but he's a kind man deep down. He always looks out for everyone's best interests."

…

The Sandman had landed in a dark corridor of the labyrinth. He felt that he landed on his head, for it was throbbing painfully. Dim blue lights calmly faded on and off, Nolan using them as a guide. He hid behind a corner as a Seer Hollow was floating by. Once it was past, he kept moving. "Hmmm…" Nolan held up his Soul Phone and tried to call the others, hoping they may have been mistaken about the lack of reception in here. "Emily? Snake? Can anyone hear me?"

_"He always looks out for everyone's best interests."_ Emily's voice said. _"At the same time… I dunno, he always felt pretty selfish, too. Always running off, playing the hero and leaving his family all alone. I talked to his wife on occasion… she said she was always sick of it. She said the best thing he ever did was sacrifice himself; they got a ton of money out of it."_

_"Yeah, he does feel pretty selfish. He should've been returning the Lost Voices where they belonged, not handing them to Skull Face."_

"Ghhh…" Nolan growled at their words, trudging forward despite the pain. He came upon a door and calmly opened it—Nolan fell into a pit, but he threw a Soul Rope up at a hook on the ceiling, pulling himself up to a ledge. Almost instantly, he stepped on a switch that opened a slot on the wall, causing a spikeball to roll out and bonk his head. "Nnngh!" The impact was painful, yet gentle, but it caused his vision to blur. Struggling to face forward again, a black-clothed figure tried to take shape.

"Why would they call you selfish, Sandman? After all, you're trying to save Maria's family. You want to stop me, don't you?"

"Maria's… family… But I've never met Maria's family… How did you find our treehouse so quickly? How did you find Maria's room? Why did Emily say it didn't look like anyone had broken in?"

Skull Face disappeared. Nolan weakly blinked his eyes a few times… and they turned a light shade of purple.

…

Joker and Alucard found a group of five doors. They exchanged suspicious glances and began to look for anything that stood out. Joker found a hidden compartment in the left wall and opened it: an arrow flew out and pointed at the middle-left door. Alucard calmly opened it—a hand shot out, grabbed him, and forced the vampire into the middle door, where a giant hammer would smash him down into a pit. "ALUCARD!" Joker shot an energy grappler down to seize him. Once Alucard regained himself, he flew back up as a bat.

"You have my gratitude. …What's this?" They looked back into the door where the hand came from. "It seems there is still a way past. We may as well proceed."

"If you say so." The two cautiously bypassed the door. "Honestly… the further we go into this place, the more I feel like we're being led into a trap."

"A trap…" This thought plagued Alucard's mind as well. "Joker, I must ask… what do you know of that 'Gohda' man? It seemed you were already somewhat acquainted with him after I joined this crusade."

"He cooked us food while we were in the dollhouse. It seemed like he was a friend of theirs, and he seemed like a nice guy. Why do you ask?"

"When he served Maria that tea… I caught a whiff of… small, yet potent traces of sleeping powder."

"Sleeping powder?"

"It wasn't enough to put one to sleep right away, unless of course the receiver were already physically or mentally fatigued. And because you seemed acquainted with him, I thought it was a drink he served often to calm one's nerves. But thinking back… Gohda was the one who found Skull Face's message. He hastily begged Emily to guide us to the labyrinth… and it was his assumption that Skull Face wanted to use Mr. York's thieving abilities."

"Are you… suspecting Gohda of something?"

"Have you something in his defense?"

"I…I don't know. I barely had time to get to know these guys, and it seemed like…"

…

Sandman encountered a three-headed Hydra ghost and zapped Pale Lightning whenever it gnashed its teeth. He Flash Stepped into the mouth of a Hydra and beheaded it from the inside using a spin attack. However, a bunch of giant fish came spewing up, springing Nolan up like a fountain. He would be caught in the teeth of a Hydra, swung, and thrown into a tunnel by the ceiling. Nolan crashed onto a floor of spikes, but fortunately found that they were made of rubber. "Ugh…"

Nolan heard static from his phone and picked it up. He heard Joker's voice. _"It seems like Sandman really doesn't care what becomes of us. He's the only one who wants to find all the Voices, he just gathered us all to help him with it. I just wanted to save Haru and continue with our lives… why did we get dragged into this mission?"_

_"Perhaps it is best that we exit this maze. Leave Sandman to find the Voice."_

Were these really their voices? Were his own teammates thinking of abandoning him, doubting him? …Progressing forward a bit, Sandman arrived at a wide room with a dark abyss. He would have to cross a balance beam… but it was only after setting foot on it that he realized this balance beam was the true pit, and he fell right in. "URGH!" He crashed in a pit of sand, and the way it stirred around made his vision go blurrier.

"But I must say, that fake Voice was pretty impressive. It almost looked realistic." The illusion of Skull Face said. "How did you make it, Sandman?"

"Maria told me… that Gohda made it."

"So, Gohda is a master of forgery? How strange. You don't suppose he forged that message from me, did he?"

"But, why…why would he lie? He's been helping us… he's the one who showed Maria the book about the Voices… But why would his family's library have that book? Did they find it? …Did Gohda read it?"

_"This is quite the phenomena, Sandman…"_ The sand stirred and took the shape of Morpheus. _"But it is not one unfamiliar to you… the feeling of manipulation and deception. Do you truly believe you have been tricked into this labyrinth on a lost journey?"_

"Morpheus… I…I need to get out of here. Something is wrong with this labyrinth… and everything else…"

_"Then we must return. We must escape this labyrinth and confirm the deception."_

"I…I can't… I'm too tired… I can't… breathe…"

"It sounds like you need a little help, Sandman." Skull Face inferred, looming over the fallen hero. "Allow me… to help you. It might benefit me to let you decay in that labyrinth… but I couldn't let a spirit like you go to waste. One That Covers… will protect you."

A gas mask took shape around Nolan's head, its goggles shining purple. Purple veins pulsed throughout Nolan's muscles, allowing him to push himself up. Allowing his own body to walk for him, Sandman backtracked the way he came. (End song.)

**Outside**

Bayonetta pelted Yusuke with bullets, the boy enduring as he returned with a Spirit Bazooka. Bayonetta dodged and used a Demon Heel to kick him, Yusuke dodging and flicking a quick energy bullet at her eye.

"That snotty brat will never defeat Bayonetta." Ibara sneered, having flown far from the conflict. "Now, I wonder if Sandman has arrived, yet? We must be ready to-"

"Pardon me, sir."

"What?!" Ibara slowed with a start, twisting around to find Gohda on the carriage. "Who the hell are you?! And what are…?!" His eyes fell to the green orb in his hands. "Wait! Is that the last Voice?!"

"I would like to make a bargain with Skull Face. The Stolen Truth has resonated with me. I will go with you to open the tower. In return, I only ask that no other soul learns of my lie."

The two sensed more presences heading their direction and looked in the distance. The fleet of Divine Angels were approaching. "Then we'd best meet up with him. Skull Face said he would be coming here, waiting to greet Sandman."

"There is no need for that." Gohda assured. "I have tricked Sandman and his group into entering the Labyrinth of Deceit. They will be lost in that dungeon for eternity."

"Oh, that isn't going to float well with Skull Face. He was waiting for his parasite to adapt with Sandman's body, and he doesn't want it to go to waste."

"S-Sandman's body? Parasite?"

…

Skull Face patiently strolled through the Acropolis of Athens, feeling a strong burst of his own chi radiating from its depths. "It was obvious to me that the Stolen Truth would not be located in the labyrinth… but I expected your journey would take you there eventually. And when you wandered lost in that maze, your mind would succumb to it… allowing my parasite to develop in that conflicted little mind."

The Sandman trudged out of the labyrinth's entrance. His breathing was hoarse and eerie behind the gas mask. "But if you're leaving… your instincts must suspect where the real Voice is. So… let's find it together, Sandman."

* * *

**Sector YU are characters from _YuYu Hakusho_, and the Last Resort, along with King Boo, are from _Luigi's Mansion_!**


	12. Open, Babylon

**Let's proceed to the next act of this story with a relaxing car ride~**

* * *

**_Chapter 12: Open, Babylon_**

**Ghost Zone**

Yusuke and Bayonetta rested on an asteroid, gasping for breath as they dripped with soul sweat. "You're pretty good… for an adolescent brat."

"I could say the same about you. I didn't expect a hooker to be this tough~" Yusuke remarked.

"Very well, smart mouth. Perhaps you'd like to see Madama Butterfly's TRUE potential!" Bayonetta whipped out a gun and fired—

A gold-coated blade whipped and blocked the bullet. "This ends now… Bayonetta." declared Balder.

"Baldy?! Where'd you come from?" Yusuke asked.

"You've done your part, boy. Now, leave us be. This matter is mine to settle."

"Dammit, you can't keep us banned from this mission forever, old man!"

"Have you not been informed, boy? I have lifted the KND's ban. You are free to assist with subduing Skull Face and securing the Lost Voices."

"Wait, seriously?!"

"Yes, seriously. However, the matter with Bayonetta is mine to settle. Perhaps you can speak to my Angels and they can instruct you further."

"Oh, whatever, old man. Fighting ladies ain't my style, anyway." With that, Yusuke flew away.

"So, want to hit on me again, Baldy?" Bayonetta asked.

Balder sheathed his weapon. "Cereza… you must remember."

"What did you call me?"

"Cereza… look at this." Balder reached into his robe and withdrew a large, stuffed doll. The left side of the head was pink with a blue button eye, and the right was black with a red diamond eye. It wore a ragged dress of patches and had a red stitched mouth.

"I'm too old to play with dolls, love."

"You made this, Cereza. You made this on your homeworld… before…before you were abducted by…" Balder seemed to hesitate.

"What do you know…what do you know about my past?!" Bayonetta demanded. "Am I… is my name really Cereza?"

Balder gasped: Bayonetta withdrew a blue orb from the back of her dress: the Voice of Lost Time. "Is my name… really Cereza?"

_"Is my name… really Cereza? (Is my name… really Cereza?)"_ The Lost Time repeated these words in both English and an unknown language, glowing brightly.

"Cereza! We must not let Skull Face have the Voices! Please, give it to me! Give me the Voice and help me subdue Skull Face. I promise, we will open the tower and I will return what you have lost. I will return your lost memories! Cereza… let's be a family." (Play "You May Call Me Father" from _Bayonetta_.)

". . . . ." Bayonetta glared and stashed the Voice away. "I always believed there was something about you… something I hated about you… but I don't trust you in the slightest. I won't be fooled. We're too close to opening the tower. I won't let you stop me!" Bayonetta flared with Dark Chi, summoning the spirit of her Zanpakutō: Madama Butterfly had great, dark wings with crescent moons on either top side. She had black, textured skin, a white head with red eyes, and a butterfly-shaped headpiece.

"Cereza…"

_Boss fight: Balder_

Balder danced toward Bayonetta, twirling the Holy Glaive like a baton, Bayonetta dodging with her nimble ability and kicking bullets toward him when an opening presented itself. In the midst of a flip, Bayonetta blocked and stopped the glaive with her leg, allowing Madama Butterfly to sock him in the face and banish him from her master. Balder aimed the glaive skyward as holy light shone above the Ghost Zone, blasting down powerful beams that Bayonetta ran from. The shower of beams was random and rampant, but Bayo was able to make her way to Balder and land blows with her blades.

Balder sprouted the peacock feathers that were his wings and took flight. Bayonetta grew butterfly wings and pursued, the two engaging in the air. Balder zoomed around the space and left spheres of Pale Lightning. Bayonetta used Witch Time to catch up to Balder and evade the spheres, but the Angel was already flying to the next location, repeating his tactic. After one escape, Bayonetta decided to shoot a lone bullet directly ahead before going into Witch Time. As Balder attempted to evade the bullet with amazing speed, Bayonetta used her power to manipulate its trajectory. The slow-motion allowed for precise directing as she slowly guided it into Balder's left eye.

As he flinched from the impact, Bayonetta lunged forward and stamped a heel into his stomach, blowing him directly into the floating door of a Ghost House. This happened to be the home of Vlad Plasmius, the retired supervillain slouched on his couch. "Hey! Can't a free-roaming Ghost Nomad have his peace?!"

Balder propelled out of the house, throwing around its furniture from the force. Bayonetta lashed kicks that Balder countered with his own, then stretched his peacock feathers around for back attacks. Bayonetta blocked them with her wings and performed a sudden spin to whack him away with said wings. "Excuse me!" Vlad flew out and said to Bayo. "I hope you plan to help reorganize my-" Bayonetta grabbed and threw him at Balder, who twirled his glaive to cut out Vlad's past self as Vlad Masters. He casually tossed Vlad away and returned to clashing with Bayo's blades.

"In the past, it was illegal to have you, Cereza. It was illegal for spirits to mate with mortals until a 'loophole' was decided. But that's why I couldn't be there for you. And I couldn't forgive you after…"

Bayonetta summoned a Demon Arm to grab Balder, using two other fists to pummel him, but he opened his own portals to summon Paradiso fists and counter them. He escaped his bind with his own strength and imbued Light Chi onto his blades, extending them as he lashed strikes from greater range. Bayonetta slowed time for brief intervals to dodge the glaive and try to cut him in turn. However, Balder suddenly summoned an Angel Arm to blast out and punch her, sending Bayo flying across the Ghost Zone. Bayonetta splashed in the River of Revulsion, the foul-smelling yellow liquid infecting her nostrils.

Bayonetta flowed down the river as a giant, red-eyed monster threatened to slurp her in with the flow. She looked up at Balder and decided to swim toward the monstrous ghost, flowing down its gaping mouth. The beast panicked as Bayo slashed it up from the inside, then she began to kick its pieces up at Balder as they exploded. The stench-filled liquid soaking his feathers, he struggled to swing his wings when Bayo came for the next round. She jabbed a heel up to shoot his head, followed by a brutal kick to the side of it, but her follow-up was blocked by a light shield of his creation.

"Your childhood had been tainted and cursed. And that's why I used my power to remove that piece of your past. I thought perhaps you would start anew as a responsible grown woman, but you continued to attack us, continued to oppose the gods. Your past is locked in the Tower of Babel, Cereza. I will return it to you."

"You had plenty of time to do that, Balder, but I'm close to reclaiming my past with my own two hands! It's too late to bargain with me! I won't let you trick me!"

"On some level, you remember, Cereza. That's why, 23 years ago, you defended the DNK from my unlawful invasion. You defended them because it was your instinct. Let that instinct awaken again. Skull Face will destroy the KND if his plan comes into fruition."

Bayonetta unloaded a storm of bullets from four guns, so Balder flew far away. She pursued as he launched strings of light in the formation of guitar strings, flying at different angles. She dodged them all and flew toward the Angel. Balder conjured a giant ball of light and kicked it to her, but Bayo summoned Madama to bash the sphere back. Balder sliced it in half, but positioned his glaive to block from her next onslaught. "Since when do you care for the KND?"

"Since…since my eyes were open a tad." Balder became more slow in his attacks, but was still quick to block Bayonetta's. "Cereza… remember your true name… your true identity… Trust in me, and I will return it to you."

"…" Bayonetta softened her resolve. She seemed to consider his words.

"AAAH!" A bullet struck Balder's back. "AAAH!" Three more were shot. The Angel turned, glaring at the man responsible. "Skull Face!" The villain was posed calmly with his gun arm reached. "SKUUUUULL-!"

Balder flew to strike him, but the bullets transformed into a mucky armor to bind him. "We have no time to waste on these harpies, Bayonetta. Hurry and finish him."

"No! Cereza… stop him… He must not succeed!"

Using a spell, Bayonetta sealed Balder in a coffin. With both blades ready, she slashed the casket repeatedly and rapidly, so by the time it fell apart, Balder was riddled with cuts. His feathers scattered about from his broken wings and energy leaked like blood. "Cereza…" Balder's glaive disappeared as he floated sickly in the ghostly space. "Just once… call me 'Daddy'…"

"Let's go, Bayonetta. We will regroup with the others and make the journey to Babel. With this… all the keys are in hand. It is time to restore the voices of the lost cultures. Including yours…" (End song.)

**Tower of Babel**

The skies surrounding Babel were clouded in light and darkness as the Divine Angels were engaged with all kinds of monsters. Not only were Hollows involved in the conflict, but a swarm of Nightmares from Castlevania were assisting them.

Ash Landers fenced with Claude Faustus, their swords like the wind. The clinging was quiet as each impact was swift and brief. "I know about you, Ash Landers." Claude said. "You are the 'Positive' of Sebastian Michaelis, my wretched rival who stole young Phantomhive away from me."

"Don't associate me with that filthy demon." Ash sneered. "And how did you come to be up here anyhow, Claude?!"

"I am sustaining myself with the particles of souls who were accepted to Spirit World. I have done the same to our dear party guests."

"AH!" Ash was tackled by a vampire woman. He frantically drowned her in soap bubbles to cleanse her curse, turning himself into a woman in the process.

"My master, Dracula hosted a masquerade ball earlier, and he cursed many of the guests into becoming vampires. We will claim this tower for our acquaintance, Skull Face, and we will reclaim Dracula's bride."

On the ground level of the valley, Pyramid Head raised his Great Knife and struck down, carving a long gap in the ground and splitting the Phantom Thieves apart. "Damn this guy!" Ryuji shouted. "How did Skull Face get this freak to work for him, anyway?!"

"That's just how the cookie crumbles." Morgana replied, scampering up from behind to land clean, quick cuts to Pyramid's legs. The beast spun and swung down, missing the cat, but a whirlwind of cuts was still sent out to scratch him. "But we can beat him if we keep trying! I wanna save the Backup Brigade as a surprise as long as possible."

**Ghost Zone**

Skull Face calmly walked with Sandman across the acropolis. "Your desire to find the Voices, Sandman… it wasn't just your desire. It was my influence. During our first encounter, I infected you with one of my parasites, and it clicked with you through use of my persuasive words. When I invaded Heaven's Hotel, I simply wanted to prevent you all from antagonizing us, by turning you into stone. But in the event some of you survived, I thought I could use you to my advantage, and so I was prepared. You ended up becoming a very lucky, unknowing ally, Sandman."

Valentine was waiting by a convertible with three rows of seats, a driver at the wheel. "My parasite also has the power to infect your brain and allow me to take control. It only works when a person has lost consciousness under total exhaust. I plan to use this in the Mortal World, too. When people have given in to the parasites, they will awaken in a zombie-like state, go out, and infect as many people as possible. That is the 'instinct' I have implanted into the parasites. However, your parasite's instinct is to find the Voices, and it affected you very subtly. That's why your instinct told you to leave the labyrinth. And the reason you didn't feel the need to recover the Voice from Dracula's castle? It was because I already had it. All this time, your interests and mine were as one."

"I've received a call from Ibara." Valentine told him. "There is a man with him who holds the Voice of Stolen Truth. He will surrender it to us, in exchange that we not speak a word about the 'lie' he has offered to the Voice."

"How curious… I'll have to ask for details, but if his words hold true, I have no reason to decline. And what of Bayonetta?"

"She had an encounter with Balder, but the parallel of yourself helped her subdue him. They also awakened the Lost Time's spirit."

"Excellent. Let's regroup and head for the tower-"

"Unmask, Arsene!" Joker suddenly pounced Skull Face and tried to rip off his mask, but the villain struggled, grabbed Joker's hands, and threw him off. Joker summoned Arsene to attack, but the spirit was intercepted by a being with baby-blue armor, pink shoulder pads and rims, along with large, upright horns. The spirit punched Arsene in the gut, then smashed down on the head, the attacks knocking Joker about in the same manner.

"Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap!" Valentine declared, rolling under the car and coming out with a clone of Joker. The copy attempted to attack the real Trickster, but Alucard lunged out and slashed him for a bit before tossing the fake away.

"It seems exiting the maze was a wise decision." Alucard stated. "So, these are the villains behind everything."

Skull Face pointed a finger: Morpheus emerged from Sandman and sprayed gas at the group, Joker and Alucard leaping back. "What have you done to Sandman?!"

"The Sandman serves me!" Skull announced. "He has played you all for fools! He searched for the Lost Voices under my instruction, made you work for him for my sake."

"I know a foul scent when I smell one," Alucard said, "and yours has polluted Sandman's being. Release him at once!" The half-vampire ran around to slash Skull Face, who nimbly dodged the thin blade and shot bullets into Alucard's stomach. The parasites tried to grow into a fiery suit and burn him. Alucard backed away and forcefully tore off the armor, but he was struck by a clone of himself summoned by Valentine.

"The world as you know it is about to change! Today is the day Babel opens. Let's go, Valentine! Sandman!" Skull Face climbed in the back of the convertible. Sandman joined him and Valentine took a middle seat. The driver stomped the gas and flew the car across the Ghost Zone.

"Joker, pursue them!" Alucard ordered, grabbing the former's clone and slamming him to the ground. "I am concerned for Snake and Emily, I will stay behind for their sake."

"Just let me grab this first!" Joker grabbed the mask of his clone and ripped it off, causing the parallel Joker to be sealed inside it. Alucard was left to battle his own clone.

As Joker flew after the car, the mind-controlled Sandman shot Pale Lightning at him, but he began to feel fatigue. "That's enough, Sandman." Skull Face said. "Using too much chi will exhaust the parasite, too. I'll end this boy. Five Dragon Destruction!" The villain's dark clothes shone white with energy as the heads of five dragons burst from him.

_This seems like a good chance!_ "AAAAAAHHHH!" Joker cried out in pain as the energy dragons feasted on his form. The blinding light of the attack blocked Joker's pain from Skull Face's view. After the dragons disappeared, he saw that Joker was terribly torn up and "bloody" (since the blood was just energy).

"I never got to thank him for retrieving the Lost Time for me. So sad." Skull Face remarked, Joker's body shrinking from view as they drove further away.

However, the real Joker had quickly hidden inside the floating door of a Ghost House. He had slapped on the mask taken from his clone and made the clone suffer the damage. "Sorry to use you that way." Joker said, peeking out at the scene. "I can't face them alone. I should stay behind and watch for now. But… what of Gohda and Maria? Where have they…?"

"Go away, man!" Box Ghost shouted from inside the house. "You're interrupting the best part of the movie!"

"Watch out!" Toiletnator shouted at the screen. "The witch is right behind you!"

"Tell me when she leaves!" Dr. Light cowered. "I'm scared of witches!"

…

Elsewhere nearby, amongst the combat between Angels and Hollows, Death the Kid had ridden his skateboard across the Ghost Zone. A storm of bullets flying toward him, Revolver Ocelot was the sniper. "So, the Demon King has paid us a visit." Ocelot remarked, twirling a gun on either hand and alternating fingers with them. "It's not a good time to be out on your skateboard."

"Can't you twirl those things with better symmetry?!" Kid demanded. "The right gun is on your ring finger and the left is on your index—gah, now it's on your thumb!"

"Did you only come here to criticize my gun-work?" Ocelot narrowed his eyes. "Perhaps I should step up my game." An entire ring of guns flew out of his coat, rapidly rotating around him at multiple angles. The rotation stopped as the guns formed various shapes around their master. Meanwhile, Ocelot twirled his own guns on his nose and ponytail respectively, then moved them to his ears.

"…I don't know what I'm looking at." Kid said. With a quick motion, he grabbed his guns and shot, Ocelot dodging the flurry of bullets. Ocelot's rotated in a circular fashion and unloaded a cyclone of bullets. As Kid evaded them, some of the guns from nearby Divine Angels directed at Kid and shot at him.

"I have total control of all guns within a very wide radius! You can't avoid them all!"

"At least it seems like you can't control other Zanpakutō with this ability." Kid said as Patty, who had floated behind Ocelot, kicked one of the bullets into his back.

"Ack! Wretched fairy!" Ocelot spotted the tiny spirit and tried to shoot her, but quickly evaded Kid's next attack.

Further from the conflict, Ibara and Gohda waited on an asteroid, the butler holding the dollhouse and Ibara the Voice. They saw a pair of headlights shine from around a green mass of ectoplasm. This was revealed to be a convertible, Gohda swallowing as he recognized Skull Face. They parked the car beside them. "Y…York-san?!" Gohda stuttered.

"Who is this man?" Skull Face asked. "Why does he seem to know him?"

"G…Gohda!" Sandman's head began to throb as he squirmed. "GOHDA!" He flipped out and grabbed him by the neck. "Gohda! What have you… been hiding from me?! Have you been working for Skull Face all along?! Just how did you find a book on the Voices, anyway?!"

"Y-York-san, please! You do not understand, you…"

Sandman punched Gohda's jaw as he fell on his back, dropping the dollhouse to the side. Gohda got up and extended his energy blade, slashing as Sandman evaded him. Sandman grabbed Gohda's arm and twisted it, then kicked the butler down again. However, Dark Bullets struck the hero and brought him to his knees. "GWAH!" Gohda yelped when two heeled shoes crashed beside his head: Bayonetta was standing directly over him.

"Who is this strapping young man?" Bayo asked, tilting her head down at him. "Is he our new hired maid?"

"Supposedly, he wishes to align with us. He brought us the last Voice." Skull replied.

"I see…" The witch looked to the discarded dollhouse. She stepped over Gohda to retrieve it, letting the house rest on her palm. "Another man who plays with dolls?"

"P-Please return that!" Gohda stood up in worry. "That is very…"

Bayonetta peered into a window, seeing Maria's tiny form asleep on the bed. "There's a kid in here."

"If I may have that…"

"Get back in the car, Sandman." Skull Face pulled the weakened man back inside. "Ibara, what of Meloetta?"

"She's a little broken up." Ibara held open the sack of stone pieces. "But I can repair her on the way."

"And here's the Lost Time." Bayonetta tossed the blue orb in the air. It bounced off Gohda's head before landing in Skull's arms. He also took the Stolen Truth from Ibara.

"And with this… we have them all." Skull Face placed them on the floor of the car, along with the Lingering Regrets and Unwanted Feelings. "Let's make way to Babel. Valentine, create more clones of us to distract the Angels. Bayonetta, fly ahead and take down any foes on the path. …And keep that dollhouse with you."

"Wait, you can't have Maria-chan!" Gohda yelled.

"If you are truly on our side, we will let you have her back. This Stolen Truth feels real, but it's always safe to have leverage."

"But she can't be there when the tower opens!"

"We will return her then. For now, be patient and get in the car."

"…" Gohda bit his lip and climbed in a middle seat, glancing to Sandman worriedly. Ibara climbed in the front seat, dumping out Meloetta's parts. Bayonetta narrowed her eyes a tad, glancing into the dollhouse.

"D4C!" Valentine rolled under the car again and came out with parallels of Ibara and himself. They went to join the fake Skull Face that had attacked Balder earlier. "Once you disable your power on her," he said to Ibara, "I will threaten Jirachi to make her comply with our demands."

"I'm not disabling my power." Ibara claimed. "If I do so on her, then all the statues will be freed. However, this 'Stone Formula' can break the spell, too." He held up a cup of yellowish-brown liquid. "I can free a single statue without freeing all the others."

"Then I'll meet you at the tower." Bayonetta attached the dollhouse to her back and grew dark wings. The witch flew ahead with full speed.

Once Valentine was back in the car, the driver put it into gear and drove forth, keeping a safe distance from the Angels. Skull Face positioned himself to face the weakened Sandman. "They say there is no black and white, Sandman. Although my appearance may contradict it, I was human too, once. I only act with compassion, rather than cruelty, even though souls have been hurt along the way. But it is a necessary evil." (Play "Sins of the Father" from _Metal Gear Solid_.)

There were a great many, eerie sights to see of the Ghost Zone, yet only Valentine and Gohda seemed to appreciate them. Ibara was hard at work fixing Meloetta, and Sandman could only listen to his captor. Joker tried to follow behind them at a reasonable distance.

"I was born in a small village… A small village in a world called the Negatar Realms. We were part of the Fear Nomads. Well, perhaps I shouldn't say that. I was among the ones born without fearbending, the ones who had to live at the base of the mountains. It was a biased culture, but it was my culture. Until… that day. Negatar Gnaa destroyed every one of us. He hailed from the south while I lived in the north, but no distance was too much in his bloodthirsty quest. I was the only other survivor of the Fear Nomads. I fled to the Shadow Kingdom, but I was sold into servitude. I was passed around, and eventually, aliens arrived on the planet and bought me. Everyone considered me highly valuable, a remnant of a race lost."

The car was swerving over a valley of ice, the air becoming incredibly chilly. "When I died, I was not as unfortunate as the other Negatives. I managed to make my way to the Underworld and join the crowds lining up to be judged. In my life as a slave, I had never committed any serious crimes, so I was welcomed to the spirits. Eventually, I became friends with Ibara, a Historian from an ancient culture who worshipped Medusa. Long after his passing, his culture and teachings, albeit dark, had been forgotten. Then there's Valentine, America's noble 23rd president. Our teachings were forgotten, and our culture either evolved or was extinguished. We longed to restore what was lost. So, we set our eyes on Babel. We tried to think of a plan to not only restore the forgotten voices to the universe, but to destroy the lingua franca that ruined them. Even with the Lost Voices, Babel alone was not enough to realize our goals."

The car flew through the portal back to the Underworld. They began to speed down the sloped path that would become flat along the Sanzu River. "Then, one day… I found… this." Skull Face opened the barrel of his gun as the tiny, floating light dot came out. "This spirit… is extremely small… but extremely deadly. It is so small that it can tap into the very core of chi paths and manipulate them in unforeseen ways. It has the ability to adapt with any chi or creature it latches onto and reproduce its cells from memory. This spirit… is what I used to upgrade my ability. By adapting with my parasite spirits, and combining their chi with the Music Chi from a certain source… it became able to produce the Vocal Parasites."

"Gah!" the driver yelped when the car suddenly slowed. "Dammit, we got a flat! Damn spike rock in the middle of the… Man, I need to call somebody." He pulled out a phone and dialed.

"My meeting with this spirit was rather sudden." Skull Face continued as the tiny spirit floated before Sandman's eyes. "I was going about my business… and was suddenly miniaturized on a dramatic scale. I was about even with the spiritual cells, or perhaps smaller. The spirit did this to speak with me. She explained that she had been watching us in secret, and that she knew of our goals. The culture which she had been born to had long been erased and forgotten by the universe. Of course, there are quadrillions upon quadrillions of 'cultures' consisting of the countless cells that make up the universe. Would those 'voices' even be recorded in Babylon?"

"Hey, they came fast!" the driver said as a repair truck was driving up the road from the beach. "Yeah, sorry for makin' you come out this far." They set to work in replacing the tire as Skull Face resumed.

"This spirit's plight seemed more hopeless than our own… so, I accepted her aid." The spirit softly landed on Skull Face's gloved palm as he held her closely. "She's quite adorable, if I say so myself. Precious, but lonely. And yet, she possesses great potential. I have to wonder where she came from? Perhaps she was the very first cell born from Arceus in the creation of the universe. Who knows?"

Once the car was fixed, it continued its drive across the road. It reached the Coast of Fallen Angels and treaded across the white sand. Their drive continued on the main land, making the journey to Castle Hell and the heavenly light above it. "But you know what I learned, Sandman? What the spirit learned? These Lost Voices are the same. The spirits which inhabit these orbs were born from the voices of all their peoples. They developed consciousness of their own… and they have come to regret their decision. They feel lonely and forgotten. They want to be remembered. This is what we learned as my parasites adapted with these Voices."

"Anybody hungry?" the driver asked. "I wanna stop by McBurner's. Heard they got a wicked new kind of burger!" With that, he drove the car through a Drive Thru of the restaurant.

"But we will help them just the same. Once I have access to the voices inside Babylon, I will mix them with the voices of the lingua francas, imbuing those people with the knowledge on how to speak them. When they become adapted with these languages, they will slowly become one with the cultures that once spoke them, whether they be Olde English or Ancient Octarian. That was the dangerous price in creating the Tower of Babel. That is why the gods kept it sealed, that these voices can collide and clash with one-another."

The driver retrieved his order from the window and continued the journey to the castle. Once they were within range, Valentine applied his energybending to create a road of light sloping up to the Spirit World. "Controlling the voices will be simple with my parasites. And best of all, I will apply my own voice to them, too. All mortals who are infected by my parasites will have my words transmuted to their brains: they will be required to speak these new voices, for if they choose to speak their native tongues, my parasites will kill them. No longer will Goombas be forced to learn 'Toad,' or Zuna have to learn Gerudo or greater Hylian. The lingua francas will be destroyed! And when new lingua francas come into being, it will start all over again."

The heavenly light was growing closer. Skull Face stood to welcome the light of the Spirit World with arms spread. "I will become the new master of Babel and the master of the voices. No longer will cultures fear subjugation or destruction! The universe will live in peace under the rule of the parasites! This is what I died for! This is why the gods welcomed me to the Spirit World! This is why I was found by this spirit. Why I was found by… Synthia. And you, Sandman, who helped to realize this dream… have every right to come to the new world with us."

The car ascended above to the Spirit World. The ride was rather pleasant and peaceful, the passengers silent and listening to the radio. They followed a somewhat inconspicuous route to the Valley of Song, cutting close to Coffee Lake, driving over Night Light Valley, all the while Bayonetta distracted and took down any Angels on the way to the tower. Ibara was carefully and precisely gluing Meloetta's pieces together. By the time they arrived at the valley, Meloetta's statue looked good as new, almost resembling the very structure on which Babel was built. An army of Hollows and Dracula's Nightmares were fighting the Angels surrounding the tower.

Valentine opened the trunk and pulled out Jirachi's statue. Bayonetta flew over them and dropped the dollhouse, Gohda catching it in a panicky way. The spirits stood and began to fly to the top of the grander Meloetta statue, pulling Sandman with them. Gohda stayed behind to keep Maria from the Truth. A Belief swooped down to intercept them, only for Bayonetta to slice it in half.

They set foot on Meloetta's head and approached the tower patiently. The entrance was a great, stone door with the designs of four creatures inscribed on it, with holes underneath them. Ibara carefully applied a drop of Miracle Fluid onto the real Firstborn's head. The head shone with rainbow light as it regained color and life. (End song.)

"Uh…wh-who…who are you people?!" the Firstborn shouted in panic. "Where am I?! Why was I turned to stone?!"

"Don't you recognize this place?" asked Skull Face. "This is Babel, your tower. We have gathered the four keys needed to open it." The four orbs levitated around him. "But only by your voice will they fulfill their role. Now, open the tower! Now!"

"What are you planning to do?!"

"You'd best do as we say." Valentine threatened as D4C's spirit clutched Jirachi's statue in its hands. "As you can see, we have Jirachi. I will shatter and scatter his pieces across the Spirit World."

"Jirachi…!"

"We have no time to lose." Valentine proclaimed. "The spirits of the Voices have been awakened. Now, sing the song that will enable the spheres to open the tower!"

_"Before long, Skull Face will have found the other Voices. I think we should attempt to secure them all, before he has a chance to steal them."_ said the Voice of Lingering Regrets, repeating Nolan's words.

_"Is my name… really Cereza?"_ repeated the Lost Time.

_"I wish to be with Dracula forever. There is not a man more amazing, none who warm my soul as he does…"_ The Unwanted Feelings repeated Kyla's words.

_"The Spirit World… is known as the 'Golden Land.' The Ushiromiya Family and its servants, including myself, were taken here by the Golden Witch, Beatrice. When I return to Maria-chan… I will be with her family."_ The Stolen Truth spoke Gohda's words.

"…" Meloetta closed her eyes and began to sing nervously. As her ancient, foreign tongue reverberated across the air, the four Voices levitated and situated their selves in the holes.

"It's almost time." Bayonetta said to herself. "Just what part of me was locked inside that tower? What part of me… did Balder lock away?"

The great door echoed ominously and slowly opened. The Skulls took their first steps inside… as did Bayonetta.

_"How old did you say you were again?"_

_"I'm 50 years old!" proclaimed the young girl._

_"Fifty years old and that young? I see… you're very resistant to the disease. You'll fit in perfectly here! Welcome to the team, Number…"_

_"Numbuh Umbra! Cereza!"_


	13. Numbuh Umbra

**Time for some callbacks! Also, the following backstory about Babel was made by Sarstar98!**

* * *

**_Chapter 13: Numbuh Umbra_**

The Skulls' footsteps echoed within the ancient tower (except for Valentine's). Song sheets lined the walls, decorated with notes that would sometimes shine and sing with a voice. "The tower constantly echoes with the sounds of all the voices in the universe." Skull Face said. "It's… actually quite annoying. But I digress."

They explored one of the rooms, finding shelves filled to the brim with countless colorful orbs. "This chamber is but one of many containing the voices lost over time." Skull went to pick up a dark-red one, holding it by his ear. "This one… belonged to the Darkedelions. Heh, I don't understand a word… I had best set my parasites to work. I must come to understand these voices myself."

"You criminals aren't gonna get away with this!" shouted Meloetta's head, shaking on its statue. "When Sugar gets here, she's gonna give you a 10 out of 10 BUTT-whoopin'!"

"Unless the spirits give her some help, I don't think she'll be following us any time soon."

"You'll never be able to control the voices! I won't let you!"

"You won't have to. We've already borrowed Babylon's chi."

"Babylon's… wait!" Meloetta gasped. "You can't mean… her?!"

"Yes, my dear. I already knew about Babel. Or rather… Synthia knew of her. She heard her voice, echoing from the moon."

"What are you babbling about now?" Bayonetta asked.

"Babel is a Vocal Spirit that Meloetta created as her assistant, to manage the voices of the universe. Babel was tasked with protecting the One Voice, a great orb that served as the core to all voices. Whenever a new language were created, a smaller orb was released from it and placed into the Tower of Babel. Though they were separate and different, they were still linked to the One Voice, and thus it was easy to learn other languages. One day, Babel decided that she would reunite all the voices in a bid to vanquish all conflict and misunderstanding, but what this entailed was commanding and enslaving all beings. Meloetta and the gods were against this, but Babel refused to listen. To stop them from destroying her, Babel integrated her form into the languages themselves. She merged herself into the One Voice, thereby connecting herself to the other orbs, like roots of a tree. Meloetta stopped her by sealing away the One Voice, making it harder for different speakers to learn from one another, but this prevented her from returning or using her power. The spirit's prison is the very moon that exists above Spirit World, but none are able to enter it. But tiny fragments of her chi seeped out of the moon, too small or menial to matter… or so it seemed."

The little light flickered around Skull Face's head. "When we investigated the area around the tower, Synthia could hear the fragments of Babel's voice from within the moon. She learned of Babel's purpose and the power Meloetta had entrusted her with. So, Synthia borrowed those fragments of chi and merged it with my parasites, allowing them to upgrade. Now, I will be able to command the tower's voices just the same. And these four Lost Voices, these same Voices that chose to seal the tower, were also used as the keys to help seal the One Voice away. If I destroy the moon's seal and release Babel, the people will be able to understand the voices. But first, I must ensure my control over the voices and destroy the lingua francas."

"You have fun with that." Bayonetta shrugged, wandering off. "I have something of my own to find."

The Umbra Witch explored the labyrinth of the temple. …She sensed a presence coming from one of the doors. Bayonetta approached and slowly opened the door.

There was a little girl asleep on a bed. She had cute brown glasses, black hair in two pigtails, and a pink nightgown with a floral design. "…?" The girl seemed to wake, hearing the witch enter. "Mummy?"

"Hm?" Bayonetta raised a brow.

"Mummy… it…it's you!" She got off the bed and ran to hug the lanky woman's legs.

"Mummy?" The witch questioned her actions. "You got the wrong idea, kid. I'm no one's mummy, I…?"

The little one began to glow. Her body turned into light and phased into Bayonetta's body. "…!" She flashed with a blinding light as her mind exploded with memories.

**Avalar; over 600 years ago**

In this era of magic, more and more witches had been swayed by the dark influence of the Underworld, devoting their souls to the Demon King. With their mortal bodies having been tainted by demon chi, they had mastered the power to Ascend their physical forms to the Spirit World. With this, they could stage attacks on the spirits in the name of the demons. Some even learned to muster Zanpakutō with their demon-imbued bodies, albeit they could only be used in the Spirit World. Because of the threat they posed, the Divine Angels had no choice but to come down and slay these corrupt witches in an era known as the Witch Hunts.

A witch clothed in sleek black clothes with gold rims, her eyes adorned with butterfly glasses while a tall hat and mask covered her head, had come face-to-face with an Angel with peacock wings and a gold mask with a central hole. "Balder, that mask is very unattractive on you." said the witch.

"They are for our protection against dark corruption."

"Does that mean you decline?"

"I do not understand, Rosa. Why choose to betray the ways of the Demon Clan for my sake?"

"I was born to this fate, Balder. I had no will to this fate."

"Mortals need not be told what their will shall be. True that your elders have chosen this life, but your will must be yours."

"I am beyond such redemption, Balder. No matter who we are inside, we Umbrans are bound for the Sanzu River once our mortal bodies fall. The rulers of the Demon Realm have decided. We are but nourishment."

"Such a cursed fate for one as you…"

"Then allow me to have my final wish. A chance for redemption for my clan."

"To commit such an act… it would be sacrilege as an Angel."

"With your pure chi mixed with my darkness, perhaps our child may be spared from a dark fate. If not them, then perhaps their descendants. Or do you fear for your title?"

"What is my title to a tribe forced into a cursed life? Perhaps my duty as a servant of the gods is to end this curse. I am here in my Gigai, after all."

"Balder…"

…

Cereza was born on December 19, 1411. A cute and rather sweet-hearted witch-in-training, she lived with her mother, Rosa, out in the country. However, it was believed Rosa died in a battle with an Angel, and so she changed her name to Lillian. She did her best to hide from her clanswomen and keep their hands off of Cereza. Of course, Rosa felt that she couldn't hide the truth of their origins from Cereza, so once she was old enough, she explained that they were Umbra Witches, and that she wanted to keep Cereza away from the rituals of the clan.

Of course, despite this, Cereza had shown magical potential, and Rosa was compelled to teach her to master her magic and darknessbending, lest she suffer from Chi Disuse. Even now, little Cereza was going for a walk in the woods, hugging a little doll she had woven. _"ROOOAAR!"_ The child jumped around in fright when a Moss Guardian hissed at her, its body camouflaged against a rock. The beast stomped forward to attack the intruder.

And within seconds, it was smashed into the ground by a Demon Arm. Cereza aged slowly due to her Umbran heritage, but this only gave her plenty of time to learn and harness her power at a young age. Even at 49 years old, she was quite young and fairly strong. Sadly, because of the factors surrounding her, her interactions with other people were limited. She and Rosa usually moved close to towns for shopping, but Cereza was encouraged to keep her powers secret; after all, the normal citizens were also encouraged to hunt Umbra Witches.

Cereza stole the necklace from the Moss Guardian and returned home to her mother. "Look, Mummy! I beat the Moss Guardian! Do you think there's some magic in this necklace?"

"Perhaps we'll crack it open and see. Though it's more likely to think Moss Guardians have a hobby of crafting."

"Hee hee! …" Cereza frowned in a mild guilty fashion. "Mummy, I have to tell you something. I made some friends."

"You made friends?" Rosa asked with slight concern. "W…what kind of friends?"

"…Kids Next Door."

"Kids Next Door?! You mean that… large organization of children that fight adults?"

"Yes, I…I joined them six months ago. I'm Numbuh Umbra."

"Is THAT why you keep disappearing all day?! Did you tell them you're an Umbra Witch?!"

"I…I didn't tell everyone. I told the Supreme Leader and asked for a private graduation. But my friends know, too. But they don't care because they… well, they're sort of different, too. My friend Howl, he's the son of a human and a harpy, and everyone's scared of him. And this boy named Ashitaka, he was cursed by a demon and banished from his tribe. The Leader put us all together because he thought we would work better together, and we have."

"I wish you would've told me about this sooner, Cereza."

"Does that mean I can't see them, anymore?"

"Sigh…well, you can't really stay hidden forever. There's no point in keeping you away from the clan if you cannot interact and be accepted by others. If you really feel a kinship with these kids, perhaps they are a good start. Just be careful."

Sector No-K were a trio of three who rarely interacted with other sectors, due to being branded as "misfits." Howl had a cute human face, but the ugly body and feathers of a dark-blue harpy, and Ashitaka was a brown-haired boy with a blue robe and a darkened right arm. Despite their brand, they worked well together and defended Ni no Kuni from threats.

A Chinese dragon had been sent by a villain to attack Ding Dong Dell, but was intercepted by Sector No-K. Howl grabbed the nosehairs of the dragon in his talons to restrain it, leaving Ashitaka to snipe its eyes with a bow-and-arrow. Cereza conjured a Demon Dragon to bite the neck of the beast, munching furiously. Unable to sustain all this damage, the dragon fell in defeat.

The event was witnessed by two Elfin boys from afar: one had orange hair and buckteeth while the dark-skinned elf wore sunglasses. "No doubt, Numbuh Umbra is a real Umbra Witch." the dark-skinned, Jeremy, said in a Jamaican accent.

"Kind of thought that codename was a giveaway." replied the other one, Gabe.

"Until now, it was only speculation; some believed she was only a fan of Umbra Witches or dark magic, but her attributes say otherwise. The question remains why she has joined the KND and if that is her true allegiance. If she really is a loyal and devoted operative… then Numbuh 256 wants her."

"'Guess that means it's time for another test." Gabe shrugged. "What should we do?"

On December of that year, Sector No-K celebrated Cereza's 50th birthday, and their missions continued in January the next year. One day, Cereza returned to their treehouse, quiet as it seemed her teammates were away. "Hm?" Cereza found an ominous, black-and-red letter on the kitchen table.

**_Cereza, it is time to realize your duty as an Umbra Witch. Come to this destination in the Golden Grove and we will begin the ritual._**

The witch immediately raced back to her house in a panic. "Mummy! Mummy, something…?" Sadly, it seemed Rosa wasn't home at the moment. "Mummy…" Still in a panic and worried for the state of her friends, Cereza thought the only other option was to just run to the given destination.

Cereza located a place in the Golden Grove where sunlight didn't touch the shiny leaves. Bathed in darkness and despair, Cereza whimpered in terror as she carried herself forward. "Hu-!"

Howl and Ashitaka were unconscious and lain on tables. Two people in tall, black attire and masks stood beside them. _"So, you have arrived, Cereza."_ The right one spoke in a deep voice.

"Who are you two?!"

_"We are your brethren. We are Umbra Witches! You have shirked in your duties, but we are here to return you to your proper place of being. You must sever your ties with these beings and use your power to banish them to the Underworld. It is a duty we all follow! If you fail, we will banish all three of you! Now, Cereza! Choose once and for all, where your allegiances-"_

Cereza grabbed the "witches" in two Demon Arms. She shook and flailed her own little arms, the ground rumbling as the two were repeatedly, violently, and forcefully bashing the ground. She gave them no time to speak or retaliate, she kept bashing until she was certain it was enough. Finally, she discarded the villains on the ground.

"Huff…huff…!" Their oversized clothes and hats came off, exposing the Elfin underneath. "Numbuh Infinity?! Numbuh 74-point…whatever?!"

The two were riddled with bruises and broken teeth. Gabe sickly and shakily raised a thumbs-up. _"Okay…you pass…"_

_"Let's just… take her already…"_ Jeremy gasped.

"T…Take me?"

After they managed to recover, the elves led her further into the forest. To Cereza's awe, a cake-shaped flying saucer was parked at the base of a sloped pit. "Numbuh Umbra, you've been chosen to join the Galactic Kids Next Door!" Gabe declared.

"The Galactic Who?!"

"We've been watching your performances for a while and have determined your origins as an Umbra Witch." Jeremy explained. "In spite of your clan's dark traditions, you have displayed exceptional loyalty to the Kids Next Door. You have prioritized your friends over your tribal traditions. Combined with your powerful abilities, you have been deemed the best operative on the planet. You have been chosen to combat adult tyranny all across the universe!"

"I…I can't believe it…"

"However… there is a small price to this. If you choose to come with us, we have to leave immediately. The other KND are not allowed to know about the Galactic KND. They are simply not ready to know of its existence. This includes your friends."

"What do you mean? I can't… say 'bye' to them?"

"Don't worry, we're gonna take them back to the treehouse after this." Gabe assured. "We just slipped them some sleeping powder. …But as for your mother… well…"

"Hello, Cereza."

The child turned with a gasp. Rosa was there to greet her with a warm, proud smile. "Cereza… I'm so proud of you. These boys came to speak with me a week ago. They told me what you had been selected for, and how grand of an honor this was."

"Mummy… do you… want me to go?"

"I've given it some thought, but… I decided. I'm really going to miss you, but… just think of all the amazing things you could do for the universe. You'll do great out there, Cereza. I know you will." She opened her arms for a hug.

"Mummy…" Cereza walked up to hug the woman's legs, Rosa hugging her hands over her back. "Before I go… could I ask something? Could you tell me… who Daddy was?"

". . . ." Gabe and Jeremy bit their lips nervously. 'Rosa' seemed nervous as well, but maintained herself for Cereza's sake. "Your father… h-he was… the king of a distant country."

"You mean… I'm a princess?!"

"Our union was… illegal by official standards. We happened to meet as he was traveling. I'll spare you the boring romance, but… eventually, we had you. But if his country knew about us, his reputation would be ruined, so we went to live in secret."

"Well, we are Umbrans, so… but I want to know more!"

"Perhaps I will tell you the full story some day, Cereza. Just promise you will return some day."

"Okay, Mummy… I will! And… tell Howl and Ashitaka… I'll miss them."

The mother and daughter parting ways, Cereza boarded the spaceship. In moments, they were leaving the atmosphere.

…

Meanwhile, the real Rosa had just arrived home with a confused expression. "Cereza wrote that she wanted to meet me in the Dark Wood. I didn't find a trace of her anywhere… Cereza! Are you home?" she called. Alas, there was no answer. "…What is going on here…"

**GKND H.Q.**

"So, this is the acclaimed Umbra Witch." High Supreme Leader Dimentia spoke observantly. "How old did you say you were again?"

"I'm 50 years old!" proclaimed the witch.

"Fifty years old and that young? I see… you're very resistant to the disease. You'll fit in perfectly here! Welcome to the team, Number…"

"Numbuh Umbra! Cereza!"

"Hm-hm! A mage such as yourself will be a valuable asset."

"I'll do my very best. But what was that you mentioned about a disease?"

"I'm talking about the disease of adulthood. You may not have known this, but adulthood is a sickness that plagues the entire universe. The very reason mortals are bound to die is due to adulthood, due to aging. But you seem highly resistant to this."

"Well, mages like me typically live longer than normal humans, but my mum always said my aging was especially slow."

"And that slow aging is your gift. And when I introduce you to our special 'cure,' no doubt you'll live forever."

"So, um, when will I be able to return to Avalar?"

"It won't be for a very long time. By the time you do return, your friends and family will have forgotten about you. This is the sacrifice all of us have made for the sake of saving the universe."

"But, I…"

"The first step to curing adulthood is to let go of emotional bonds like these. If you stay attached to them, you'll only be dragged into the disease with them. Focus on your own wellbeing."

"…Okay…"

As with any newcomer GKND, Cereza missed her friends and mother terribly during that first year. Of course, her situation wasn't as bad as one of her new friends, Huntara. She was an Etherian whose entire planet miraculously disappeared without a trace, taking all its moons with it. That happened a few centuries beforehand, but by that time, Huntara had already been recruited to GKND. The best Huntara could understand was that the Irkens or some other alien invaders were trying to take over the planet, so it vanished for their protection.

And speaking of being alive for centuries, that's exactly what became of Cereza. Like her fellow operatives, she had been introduced to Jirachi, the cure for the adulthood disease who prolonged everyone's childhood and lifespan. Cereza had already aged slowly, but thanks to Jirachi, she maintained her childhood for about 150 years.

As Cereza explored and fought villains on many planets, developing her powers in the process, she had learned to fight with a great many swords and guns, combining either weapon types in her combos and attacks. She was given the nickname "Bayonetta" by fellow operatives, named after a type of musket with a blade at the end. She came to embrace and accept the nickname, and even the Irkens and other enemies came to know her by this name, for she was quite a nuisance in their side.

Still, the usage of her Umbran powers became known across worlds and word spread. It even came to reach the heavens above.

Father Balder never liked to acknowledge the GKND that much. It still sickened him that their leader, Dimentia, was still around and abusing the powers of Jirachi. There was nothing he could do, as it was simply 'fate' that Dimentia be Jirachi's commander, according to Dialga. And even so, despite her crimes, the GKND had been valuable in bringing peace to the worlds. However, Balder had more pressing matters for the last century-and-a-half: his daughter had gone missing. After scheduling a secret meeting with Rosa, he was horrified to learn this. Alas, he couldn't just fly around aimlessly in search of her, or else the other Angels may be aware of her existence. All he could do was rely on Rosa to search for her, though in the event she had become involved with other Umbrans somehow, he would attempt to search among their ranks and fight them, acting as if he were doing his job.

But his Angels reported hearing of Umbra Witches appearing on various planets. He had never expected the GKND to be involved… until he gave them a thorough look-over. Eventually, he learned of the Umbran "Bayonetta" among the GKND's ranks. While she had donned a black jumpsuit and looked somewhat different, she was the same Numbuh Umbra: Cereza.

"The Galactic Kids Next Door?" Rosa asked. "I…I've never heard of that. Did her friends know about this?!"

"Even after you said she had joined the KND, this was the last thing I expected." Balder said. "Why…why would that witch take Cereza of all people?! What sort of cruel prank is fate playing?! Curse me for not suspecting this sooner! Why did I think, for once, that Zathurian would never trouble me again?!"

"Balder… I must go."

"Go?"

"I must go to the GKND's headquarters. I need to know why she left without speaking to me. I need to know if there was trickery involved or if she did so on purpose. I need to know if she is there against her will or if she's happy up there. At the very least, I need to speak with her one last time."

"Those heathens do not welcome adults! It is foolhardy!"

"Then go with me, Balder. Allow her to meet you as well."

"Hrm…very well. But to the eyes of those other mortals, I must remain invisible. Especially… _her_."

**Star Haven**

Dimentia had gone to the Fountain of Dreams for her daily drink, smiling as her wrinkly skin became smooth and beautiful. She gazed at her reflection proudly in the magic mirror… until it changed to show an outside image of the sanctuary, and the tall, thin figure in dark clothing. With a gasp, Dimentia rushed outside, Jirachi following. "HEY! Who do you think you are walking onto our haven, you filthy adult?!"

"I mean you no harm." Rosa said. "I am searching for a girl named Cereza. She is my daughter."

"Rosa!" Balder yelled, the Angel only visible to the witch. He was also wearing his gold mask. "That's Dimentia! She is the leader of-"

Dimentia struck the witch with Space Lightning, Rosa intercepting it with darkness. The Zathurian followed with a flurry of Starbursts that Rosa blocked with chain-whips, afterwards catching her in a Space Block. Rosa burst out of the Block with Demon Fists, but Dimentia made three more around her and exploded them. "Grr-!" Balder grit his teeth, clutching his weapon… but no matter how much he wanted to, attacking Dimentia was against the law. "Rosa, let's just retreat for now!"

"I only want to speak to Cereza! That's my only wish, let me see my daughter!"

"Wish…wish…" Jirachi shut his eyes tight, struggling to restrain himself.

"No, Jirachi! Don't give in now!"

"Jirachi, let me see my daughter! I wish to see Cereza!"

"SILENCE!" Dimentia tried to trap the witch in a spiraling vortex, but Rosa fought free and ensnared Dimentia in her chains.

"I…I can't… hold it in any longer!" Jirachi's ribbons flashed, and in a second, Cereza poofed out of thin air. The witch plopped on her back, wearing only her pajamas and holding her favorite doll.

"Ow!" she yelped, forced out of her slumber.

"Cereza—MMPH!" Rosa yelled, but Dimentia warped on her head, sealing her mouth as they both struggled against the other.

"Jirachi, I wish this woman would take the shape of a monster!"

"A-A monster? Okay…" With confusion, Jirachi focused magic on Rosa and morphed her into a light-red demon with slit yellow eyes and a wide, sharp-toothed mouth.

"CEREZA! HELP!" Dimentia cried. The witch fully awoke with a start, horrified as the "monster" seemed to dig its claws against her leader.

"AAAAH!" Cereza reactively summoned a Demon Serpent and gnashed at the monster's head. She made it forcefully crunch, chew, and chomp the demon while Dimentia had gotten off.

"NO, STOP! STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING!" Balder shouted, showing himself before her.

Startled by the presence of another monster, Cereza made the serpent swing and bat him away, afterwards slamming Rosa on the ground. "Cereza…Cereza…" The "beast" rasped and reached for her.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Cereza summoned a sword with her magic and severed her mother's hand, and with one final leap, Rosa was impaled in the heart.

"ROSA!" yelled Balder.

"R…Rosa?" repeated Cereza.

_"Cer…e…za…"_ The beast looked her daughter in the eye. _"I… brought… your father…"_

Whenever an Umbra Witch died, a dark portal would immediately open as demons dragged their body and soul to the Underworld. This was the fate that became of Rosa. "…Mummy…" Cereza couldn't comprehend what she just heard. Was that monster really… And that other monster in the gold mask… was it really… "D…Da-"

Balder's Holy Glaive pierced Cereza's chest. While the child seemed suspended against the blade, a tall, thin woman suddenly spawned where she stood, falling over and out of her child-size pajamas. "You…You are no daughter of mine. You have been cursed by that girl. Or perhaps this is my punishment… for ever having fallen into forbidden love. How dare you do this to her… DIMENTIA!"

"AAAH!" Dimentia panicked when the furious Angel impaled her with the glaive. However, the spiritual weapon merely phased through her flesh.

"Tell me what worth you have to this cosmos! What fate binds you to Jirachi?! Are the Kids Next Door truly to be the heroes of this universe?! Why is it that YOU lead them?! Do you possess any sort of redemption?! HOW LONG WILL YOU CONTINUE TO DISRESPECT US?!"

"JIRACHI, GET RID OF HIM! I WISH HE WAS GONE!"

Jirachi hastily poofed Balder away. Dimentia panted, scared out of her mind, but it seemed there was no wound in her body, despite the huge blade. "…" Dimentia looked to the unconscious, naked woman on the ground. "What did he do to Cereza? Jirachi, let's put her in the water! Oh, and give her clothes."

After Jirachi conjured a sleek black outfit for her, Cereza was placed in the Dream Water. Dimentia sang the incantation, but the witch's body didn't shrink back into a child at all. "She…she isn't turning back."

"What do we do, Dimentia?"

"…It's a lost cause." Dimentia bowed her head in gloom. "Whatever that monster did… he permanently cursed Cereza with the adulthood disease."

"But, maybe we should keep trying-"

"No. Jirachi… just send her somewhere. Send her back to Avalar or something… so, she can be with her kind."

"…" With one last wave of magic, Cereza disappeared.

_Fly me to the moon_

_And let me play among the stars_

_Let me see what spring is like_

_On Jupiter and Mars_

She awoke on the shore of a lake somewhere. Her mind was shattered and scattered… she remembered nothing before waking by this lake. She searched her sleek, black jumpsuit and found only a word written along the belly: Bayonetta. All she could do now was explore the area. Nearby, she discovered a village: the women were wearing dark, cult-like attire. When "Bayonetta" approached them, they raised brows at her attire. Besides that, she hardly looked indistinguishable as one of their own.

_In other words, hold my hand_

_In other words, darling kiss me_

Balder gently lay the child Cereza on a bed. It had been a struggle to gather the Lost Voices for the sole purpose of locking Cereza in the Tower of Babel, but the impenetrableness of this fort would hopefully be the safest haven. This embodiment of his daughter's past would never age or grow hungry, and none would ever know of the sin he had committed. His lingering regrets for what he did, the time his child lost to him, his unwanted feelings of hate for what she did, and the lie that he was not related to "Bayonetta" in any way, a lie which he planned to uphold for ages… Balder had awakened the Voices' spirits himself, but by the time he closed the tower, they would go back to sleep.

_Fill my heart with song_

_And let me sing forever more_

_You are all I long for_

_All I worship and adore_

While her clanswomen had no idea where she came from, Bayonetta was fully accepted as a true Umbra Witch. At their side, she began to attack and lay sieges upon the Spirit World. She learned to command Hollows, mastered a timebending Zanpakutō, and attempted to attack the Isle of Elements, the First Church, the Tower of Babel, and other sacred areas. …While she couldn't explain why, she found herself returning to the tower often. It became a favorite place of hers to attack. Perhaps she just liked the songs that radiated across the valley.

Sadly, as the centuries passed, the Umbra Witches were slowly picked off, and they bred no more descendants. Her tribe dying one by one, the remaining numbers could no longer continue the battle. They split up and ran into hiding. Bayonetta ran all over Avalar, slashing down any Angels that tried to hunt her, but otherwise hiding from them. Eventually, it felt as if they stopped hunting… but Bayonetta was left all alone.

_In other words_

_Please be true_

She lost count of the centuries that passed, merely wandering from town to town. It seemed that the Witch Hunts had long come to an end. The Umbra Witches were believed to be finished, so she had little problem with casually strolling through towns. However, she had long grown tired of her home planet's surface.

In recent years, Avalar had finally become open to other worlds of Galaxia. This was thanks to a man called Disney, but Bayonetta didn't really care for the details. What she was fascinated with, however, was Intergalactic Travel. She wanted to take a chance at the big city, and so, she moved to Coruscant.

_In other words_

_I love you_

Bayonetta wandered from district to district for the next several years. There were plenty of dark, shady types in the city's underbelly, so she blended into the crowd, using her power to beat down any crook and taking their cash. Men would try to hit on her at every single bar… and all attendees would find their selves hitting the floor.

"Not bad, not bad…" proclaimed a short man smoking a cigar. "Now you seem like a dame what don't let herself get pushed around."

"Here to join the slumber party, shorty?" Bayo asked.

"Nah-nah-nah. Listen, name's Enzo. I'm kind of a broker if you will, and I'm looking to make some dough on Heaven's Arena. Nothing wrong with extra cash, huh? You ever think about becomin' a fighter?"

"I don't think about what I'm already good at."

"Yeah, well where ya workin' at, sweetheart?"

"I'm too good for work. Beating down these clowns makes me plenty of money."

"Listen, sweetheart, I can get ya way more than these alley dogs. Ya do good in Heaven's Arena, I'll split the profits with ya, maybe buy ya a fancy house. Ya like ponies and unicorns? I get a couple unicorn heads every Thursday."

"Oh, I've hunted far more impressive things than that."

"Oh, yeah? Like what?"

…

But no matter how many years passed, even though Bayonetta had moved on from her tribe… her origins still escaped her. She had no idea where she came from, who her parents were… or why she kept paying visits to the Tower of Babel. Why did she keep laying siege upon it at the anger of the Angels?

"I see you here quite a lot." a man said one day.

Bayonetta turned. There stood a skull-faced man in black. "Why, you checking me out?"

"That tower will not open without certain requirements. Tell me… why do you wish to breach Babylon?"

"I couldn't tell you. I'm just… drawn to it for some reason. I have no idea why, but… I feel like if I can get in there… I'll know who I really am."

"Then… perhaps we should work together?"

"Hm?"

"You and I… both seek to enter Babel for our own ends. I feel that our goals are similar. Shall I… explain more?"

"…Sure."

**Present time**

Her vision blurred as she was writhing on the floor. As Bayonetta willed herself to face up… Skull Face's form became apparent. "What you were seeking… wasn't the voice of your culture, was it?"

"Skull Face… I…" She stood to full height. "I was… a KND operative… and Balder… That man had to be Balder… Was Balder really my… father?"

"A Kid Next Door… and a Divine Angel? You really do have quite the history. But does that make me your enemy?"

"…I don't know… I still don't understand…I don't understand what happened back then. Why did Mum look like that? What did… Dimentia do…?"

Bayonetta rushed outside, finding Jirachi still in Valentine's possession, as well as Ibara. "Valentine!" she yelled for their attention. "Ibara… use your potion to awaken Jirachi. I need to ask him something. I need to… find Dimentia."

**Somewhere on the sea**

Young Leic was brushing his toes along the endless, peaceful sea. He tried to fly alongside the seagulls whenever they came cawing, but they would always outpace him. He heard a splashing sound and turned to find Dimentia return from the seafloor. "Are ya sure you're allowed to do this, Dimentia?"

"He's agreed to it, so there must be nothing wrong with it. With this, we have everything we need to stop Varcrutis."

"Hey, Dimentia, you said there were more people in Var's group, right? I was wondering, even if we beat her, will we have to worry about them?"

"There are more members of the Daemonis, that is true, and many of them may be stronger than she is. …But you don't have to worry." She smiled kindly. "If they do decide to attack, then we'll just have to teach them the same lesson."

"The same lesson?"

"As dangerous as the Daemonis are, there's a certain rule they have to abide by. But because of the disposition they share with the Phoenios, they think they're above this rule. No matter how often the Phoenios stop them or chase them off, they're just going to keep attacking this universe. But Varcrutis is going to be the first one to understand that they're wrong."

"Oh, you talked about this with those Rex guys, right?"

"Yes." Dimentia smiled and nodded. "A little knowledge goes a long way. …As for Sylistys, however… I feel the need to face her myself. Knowing she's my Negative, in a similar state as I am… it has to be me."

"But I'm allowed to help you, right?"

"Of course, Leic! I have my full trust in you!" She raised a hand.

"Yaaaaay!" He high-fived and did a flip. "Hey Plex, wanna high-five, too?"

"Well, alright then." Plex sighed. But just before he could get close, his body suddenly went rigid. "Something's happening!"

Dimentia snapped to attention. "It…it's coming from… the Negaverse?"

"Huh?" Leic gaped.

"It feels like Sylistys. She's using a large amount of chi, but I don't feel Var with her."

"Could it be a trap?"

"We have no idea what Varcrutis was discussing with Robotnik." Plex replied. "There's a chance Sy may be trying to bait us while she does something else."

"Even if that's true, it's not like I planned to battle Var, anyway. So, we better go see what's up. It's time to capture Sy once and for all."

"Then let's get Ascending/Descending!" Leic cheered.

"Hee hee! …Achoo!" Dimentia sneezed.

"Bless you!"

"Thanks. Heh, it just snuck up on me…" Dimentia frowned, as though sensing a strange feeling in the air. She shook it off and merely allowed Leic onto her shoulder, the two Ascending to Heaven before making the drop to the Negaverse.


	14. Sy's Desire

**Here's some interesting trivia about the word "Ether": a lot of series use that term as the name of their universe's primary power source, such as _Xenoblade_ or _Fairy Tail_/_Edens Zero_. The Gameverse's primary power is termed "chi." Magic is one of the common abilities in this series, and magic originates from Planet Emera, on which it is known as "Ether." Of course, this Ether is merely a composite form of multiple chis. However, the _Xenoblade_ crossovers of this series won't use that term for their power, or else it'll be confusing. ^^;**

* * *

**_Chapter 14: Sy's Desire_**

**Somewhere in Eporue**

Dimentia and Leic Descended onto a vast field, covered in darkness with not a single sign of life. "I can feel a ton of movement underground. She's definitely here. Get ready, Leic."

"Whoa… I didn't think I'd ever be back here again."

"Huh? You know this place?"

"This place is the Tree of Ending. I kind of wandered here one time when a lot of crazy stuff was happening. …But the only reason Stylistic would come here… would be if she remembers."

"Heads up." Plex warned. The earth rumbled beneath them and suddenly erupted open: a skeletal titan with four arms, cloaked on a ghostly white robe, gazed down at them with soulless white eyes. "She's being rather straightforward lately. I appreciate that."

The chest of the titan opened, exposing Sylistys within. "Hmm…so, is it only you two?"

"Who else were you expecting?!" Dimentia shouted.

"I'm rather thankful, actually. I get to determine once and for all if I'm worthy enough to face you. If I can defeat you."

Dimentia narrowed her eyes. "Sylistys… what did the Daemonis tell you, anyway? How did they get ahold of you?"

"When I first found myself awakening, they told me that my soul was lost and forsaken. This body was specially crafted in order to maintain my soul, complete with Bone Chi that I was meant to adapt with. I was told a few basic things about this dimension before they sent me here. Initially, my role was to act as a 'spy,' to both search for potential people to bargain with, and to study the heroes of this universe. At some point, they also planned to pit me against you as well. Unfortunately, I suffered from excruciating pain in this universe, and so I was forced to dine on the chi and souls of benders to stop that pain."

"You know, I think I understand." Plex said. "She does not feel like a soul-turned-Daemonis like how you became an Inviere. Her body feels purely artificial, albeit realistic."

"So, she's kind of like a Gigai?"

"In a way… However, given your circumstances, I can only surmise that Aitnemid would have wound up in this universe's Limbo."

"Limbo?"

"It's a sub-dimension where souls are banished in the event there are bizarre circumstances behind their death. In your case, the universe doesn't recognize 'Invieres,' ergo it wasn't sure what to do with your Negative's departed soul, so she would've wound up in Limbo. In fact, I heard the same fate became of Nerehc due to Cheren's God Tier."

"Are you mumbling to yourself?" Sylistys asked. "Perhaps you could provide more detail on my origins. If we are a 'Positive' and 'Negative,' then tell me who I was."

"I really don't know, honestly." Dimentia replied. "I never bothered to meet my Negative or ask about her… but I have to admit, I am a little curious. Given the unusual lives my brother and I lived, I could only wonder…"

"Then maybe I can explain." Leic said, approaching the titan. "If your name's really Aitnemid… then you should know your daughter's name, Aluben."

"Aluben? You mentioned that name before…"

"Aluben told me you were an awful mother. You destroyed her emotions and forced her to enslave kids all around the universe. She only got her emotions back after the soul extraction in the Underworld, but she was in a ton of pain. She was so mad about it that she decided to kill you. Don't you remember any of that?"

Sylistys put a finger to her chin. For a moment, it seemed like something was sparking inside her. "…No. Those things don't mean anything to me."

"Oh, man." Leic moped. "Maybe it'll jog your memory if we take you to meet her. Or you can stand on your head! I heard that trick works sometimes."

"Leic, I'm not sure that's what she means." Dimentia replied. "I feel like… she really doesn't care to remember that at all."

"You're right." Sy said. "I don't remember having children… and I don't really care. It just seems like irrelevant information. The only thing that sparks relevance… is the word 'End.' And with it, I feel a desire… to end everything. To destroy everything. I learned that each planet had what's known as a 'Heart of the World,' and I believed if I were strong enough, I would be able to consume such a Heart and destroy a planet. Beneath this ground is the Heart of Earth. If I can defeat you and consume your God Chi, it may give me the burst I need to accomplish this."

"If ending the world is all you care about, then I have no sympathy for you. You're no different than the monsters you serve." Dimentia readied her bow and Leic his sword.

"It makes no difference to me. And also…" The titan's chest sealed Sylistys inside, the head of the colossus booming, _"I despise children."_

"Hah! You really are my Negative~" (Play "How It Started" from _Sonic Secret Rings_!)

_Boss fight: Sylistys_

The titan's four arms conjured a scythe, axe, spear, and chain made of bones. Sylistys began by jabbing the spear toward Dimentia, the Inviere evading as she dodged her way closer. Underhands emerged from the ground and grabbed Dimentia's ankles and arms, holding her in place as Sylistys readied to impale the spear again. However, Dimentia willed open a portal, catching the spear as it would pierce the titan's chest via another portal. Leic butter-fied the Underhands and freed Dimentia, who quickly flew up to the punctured chest, but the titan's chain quickly enveloped and squeezed the Inviere. Dimentia quickly minimized herself to escape the chain, but the titan's chest resealed.

As Dimentia resized, she evaded the titan's scythe and circled the beast, shooting arrows downward as she made a circle of them on the ground. Sylistys was able to land an attack with her axe from above, using the flat side to successfully slam Dimentia to the ground. She followed up with a spear stab, but Dimentia quickly activated the Nega-Zone and morphed her dimensions in a shape to dodge the spear. With the entire titan caught in the zone, Dimentia began to twist its dimension and give Sy a severe cramp. Grunting in agony, Sylistys made bone fists emerge from the base of the beast and pummel Dimentia. Dimentia distorted some of their dimensions, but managing such a huge target became tasking, so she dropped the zone.

Dimentia flew away from Sylistys, whom was unsuspecting as Leic had covered her middle-back in butterflies. The titan's spine became soft and fragile as its upper-half fell over backwards. Dimentia used an Arrow Warp to warp herself to the titan's stomach, then quickly sliced it open with her swords. She slipped inside and ran up the interior, Sylistys using the severed spine to attempt to puncture her. Dimentia evaded the butter-ended spine and located the culprit within the chest. Dimentia slashed against Sylistys, who clawed Dimentia's face and summoned bones from behind to stab her back. Sylistys then seized Dimentia in a giant bone hand to yank her out of the titan.

The spine reattached as the titan rose to full height. Sylistys began to slam her axe along the ground, leaving long strips of cleaved ground from the impacts. Even as Dimentia tried to fly over them, Underhands stretched up to pull her back down, so Leic zipped by to slice those hands. A furious Sylistys tried to slash him with the scythe, but Dimentia channeled chi onto the scythe and increased its gravity. Sylistys was unable to raise it back up, so she whipped the chain at Dimentia, who used her swords to slice off its segments with each swing. The chain's arm suddenly stretched out and snatched Dimentia, growing spikes from the palm to puncture her. She conjured Starbursts to form around and bombard the arm from all sides, eventually cracking it as it fell apart.

Freeing herself, Dimentia jumped into a portal and fell from above the titan, shooting an arrow into its head. Dimentia jumped into another portal and shot one into the left "ear," then the right hip, the left ear, rampantly warping to multiple sides and confusing Sylistys. Lining some arrows up along the bottom, Dimentia had formed an enclosed space along the titan's body and used a Nega-Zone to warp the enclosed space away. A huge front chunk of the skeletal structure vanished, so Dimentia quickly warped up to land more slashes against the Negative. Sylistys bent up a spine whip to whack Dimentia's weapons out of her hands, but with a swift motion, Dimentia conjured a spear of Space Chi and stabbed Sy's stomach.

Sylistys thrusted two large bones to blast Dimentia away with supreme force, then she bent the severed front piece back to reattach to the titan. Sylistys began to actively move the titan along the ground and chase Dimentia. When Sy jabbed the spear, Dimentia blocked it with a large Space Shield, but Sy swung the axe from above to chop through the shield. When the shield dispersed, Sy dealt the next spear stab, but when Dimentia dodged, Sy brought the scythe down for a blow. Dimentia was impaled against the ground, and the axe was coming down to behead her. Leic jumped in the way and held the sword above Dimentia's head, butter-fying that part of the axe just as it came down. He then ran to butter-fy the scythe, allowing Dimentia to roll free, smiling at Leic with thanks.

Sylistys raised the axe and chopped down again, but Dimentia conjured a Space Axe of equal size to clash against it. The scythe slashed along the ground, but Dimentia intercepted it with a Space Scythe. "Come to think of it, why don't I do it, too?" And so, Dimentia conjured a titan of Space Chi, armed with Sy's very weapons. Leic flapped onto the shoulder of the giant, assuming the best seat in the house as the twin titans slammed their weapons with a force that shook the country. Sy's chain wrapped around Dimentia's neck and choked, but Leic flew along the chain and butter-fied its segments. Dimentia's chain then grabbed that arm as she moved circles around the Negative, yanking that boney arm off as she bashed Sy with it.

Dimentia bashed the giant skull until it shattered, then she tossed the Space Spear up to pierce down into the neck hole, forcing Sylistys to the bottom of her beast. Dimentia moved closer and dispersed the spear, jumping out of her titan as she dove inside Sy's. Bones were launched up from below, Dimentia miniaturizing to better dodge them. She landed along one of the bones to run down it, then jumped to another, and once she was almost there, she poofed back to normal and landed on the bonebender. She grabbed Sy's neck and started punching her with the other fist, the creation impaling with spikes from the sides.

Sylistys then clawed Dimentia's neck and made her release, afterwards banishing her from the structure. However, Dimentia had stuck Sylistys with an arrow, and she used another to warp Sy out of the titan. Sylistys was startled by this, but had no time to react as Dimentia willed her titan to start pounding on the puny target with all four fists. An angered Sylistys endured the pounding and controlled her own titan to pound against Dimentia, and it became a test of endurance for both parties. "AGH!" Sylistys made her titan yank out its spine and whip Dimentia's titan away. The spine wrapped around and squeezed to crush and disperse its chi, but the pink giant's arms turned into spears and rapidly stabbed the bone giant.

Dimentia imbued her titan with one final burst of power to stab Sy's with all four spears. At the same time, Sy's titan entrapped Dimentia's completely in the spine and squeezed. The space dispersed into particles and the bones crumbled into dust. "You are a most excellent 'other.'" Sylistys said. "And you will be a nutritious meal all the same." Above her, a cloud of butterflies were amassing under Leic's command. "Truth be told, I could care less for my masters' grander intentions. So long as I have the freedom to destroy, I will do so." The butterflies were forming a humanoid shape. "There was no better feeling than that of those souls disappearing down my throat, the flavor of their chi. For whatever reason, seeing things end gives me great joy. I want to watch all worlds meet their-"

"Look, Dimentia! I made a titan of my own!" Leic cheered, presenting the Butter Titan shaped like his carefree, smiling self.

"What?" Sylistys faced up… but rather than feel threatened, she could only gaze with disbelief.

"Impressive, Leic! I guess it's a good thing I let you butter-fy some of my chi!" And with a wave of her arm, the butterflies poofed back into Space Chi: the pink titan of Leic's likeness shot down and smashed Sy beneath its feet. She willed it to jump up and down joyfully, smash-smash-smashing Sylistys into the ground. Once enough damage was done, the titan jumped off, smiling at the tiny Leic and giving a high-five to him. With that, Dimentia dispersed the titan as Leic rejoined his friend. They approached the footprint crater and looked over the flattened Sylistys. (End song.)

"Ahh…so, this is my fate. In the end, I am the inferior other. Ah…how shameful."

"I should say so." Dimentia agreed. "Even despite your memory loss… if you had an ounce of love for your children, that love wouldn't have gone away. You should be watching your children, thankful that they're still alive and paving the way to the future. But all you care about is destroying the world they built. You truly are inferior, in more ways than you think."

"Again, you speak of irrelevant things. My existence was never dedicated to 'children'… it's dedicated to my masters, nothing less. I can only return to them in shame. I can only be punished. But mark my words, I will be stronger next time. I will fulfill my role as their valuable weapon. One day, I will destroy you, just as I will destroy every soul in this-"

"You realize I just warped us to the Underworld, right?"

Indeed, they appear to have landed in the middle of a dark-purple field of death. "What?"

"Grab her, Magellan."

"AAAAHH!" Sylistys was immediately snatched in the mouth of a purple snake of toxic waste.

"So, this is the one?" asked Magellan, the giant bat-winged demon from which the snake originated.

"Yep. Let's strap her in."

"What is this?!" Sylistys shouted, squirming desperately. Magellan dragged the creation to a building near Underworld Prison. Inside was a small chamber with a chair and tube.

Magellan released Sy as a pair of Fatblin guards grabbed her by the arms and shoved her onto the chair. She was strapped down as the tube was forced into her mouth. _"MMMMMMMMMMMMNNNNNNNNNN!"_ Excruciating pain overcame her as dozens of souls were vacuumed out of her being.

"This was Leic's idea." Dimentia smiled. "Soul extraction. We're saving all the souls you attacked. If we're lucky, some of their bodies may still be alive and they'll be able to return. This is the end of your reign of terror, Sy. We're sucking every soul out of that body."

_"Mmmmm! Mmmmmmnnnn!"_ The creation squirmed desperately and aggressively, but was helpless to the osculation.

"For now, we'll let your own soul remain bound to that body. Without it, you might probably end up in Limbo again. Regardless, I'm not letting the Daemonis take you back, Aitnemid. They're going to learn once and for all that they're not above the rules. They're going to learn that they can't just take whatever they want. You should be thankful, Aitnemid… You should be thankful we're returning you to where you belong."

_"Nuuuuuuuuuu…!"_

Dimentia took Leic's hand and walked him out of the building, Sy's screams fading into silence. "Sigh…that's one problem taken care of."

"Good." Leic nodded. "…Hey, Dimentia… I feel weird for not asking sooner, but what are the Daemonis and 'Phoenios,' anyway? Like, I get they're from another dimension, but like… I just feel weird for not knowing this stuff. Just how long have they been around?"

Dimentia giggled. "It's not weird at all that you don't know them. They aren't natives of this universe and they weren't really meant to be. The Phoenios are gods from another multiverse who maintain order and stability in that multiverse. They're the heroes of that world, because where they're from, they have no mortal heroes. And as you could suspect, the Daemonis serve the role of villains."

"But how come they're here?"

"The Phoenios possess the ability to freely travel between multiple universes, even ones outside their control. They aren't the only beings who can do this, but unfortunately, the Daemonis have this ability, too. They believe they are above mortals' ability to handle. That's why the Daemonis attack worlds like these, because they believe they can't be stopped. The Phoenios therefore work to stop them, so they're believed to be the guardians of the omniverse… but in the grand scheme of things, they're no different from the gods of this world or any other universe. And that's why, outside their own borders, they can hardly do anything."

"So… they don't have any power here?"

"That's where it gets complicated. You see, if the KND or even the gods tried to invade the Phoenios or Daemonis in their own domain, the KND would be soundly defeated. On the other hand, if those two decided to invade our universe, fight the KND on their own turf, then the KND would be the victors. It's an inter-dimensional rule that encompasses a lot of worlds and ensures a peaceful balance. It decrees that no universe or multiverse is inherently superior to any other. That said, the Phoenios understand and acknowledge this rule, so it's unlikely you'll catch them invading. Even Lord English was hindered by this rule. He was born within this universe system and was thus able to do serious damage, but he couldn't assert his rule across the multiverse unless his minions forced them to submit. By that time, he already amassed so many followers from different worlds that he became the most dangerous threat ever known."

"So, like, can anyone from this universe just fight them off then?"

"That's not entirely true either. What Varcrutis did the first time she attacked was use the element of surprise. The KND didn't know who she was or what her power was, so it gave her the upper hand. In some cases, people need the right ability, the knowledge, and the right strategy, but after that, it certainly isn't impossible. My daughter's friend, Cheren challenged Varcrutis, and she couldn't beat him. You've seen other examples yourself, Leic, when Suika fought back against Sylistys or when that robot girl attacked Var."

"Man, this stuff really is complicated." The young angel scratched his head.

"Hm hm hm! I know it is, but once you understand this rule, you won't need to fear. But on some level, I think the Daemonis understand this rule, too. Usually, they only attack worlds with no mortal heroes, worlds that exist within their multiverse, but they're also attracted to universes like these, universes that combine ideas from countless others into one. Even so, their power is hindered here. That's why Varcrutis had to bargain with Eggman, to receive his permission to wreak havoc, to secure a place in this universe. But permission or not, she still has no respect for us. She still thinks she's superior to everyone. She's so in tune with her reality-bending that she's married to it. But this reality is not hers to command."

"Dimentia, do you feel it?" Plex asked.

Dimentia touched her head. "…She's shown up at last. Etheria, huh? It's time, Leic. Let's go tell Team Rex to get ready. I'll warp us this time, too."

"You aren't worried about using power?"

"Not anymore. Before, I was only worried about attracting more Daemonis, but that doesn't matter, anymore. I won't be using much power, anyway." Dimentia took Leic's hand. "Today is the day Varcrutis learns to respect us. She will learn to respect both mortals and gods!" And so, they warped to their destination.

**Etheria** (Play Eggman's Theme from _Sonic Unleashed_.)

Etheria was a magical planet that existed in the Nicklodia Galaxy. It was the furthest from the sun, but all of its light was generated by twelve moons that orbited the world. The planet's surface possessed beautiful colors and had unique architecture, and some of its societies relied on magitech.

_"You see, Varcrutis, Etheria is a world that seemingly appeared out of nowhere in the year of 2031." Eggman explained. "And yet, somehow, there was already a Kids Next Door on the planet. I sent robots to collect data on the planet and determined something fascinating. The primary sacred relics of Etheria are five gems known as Runestones. These stones empower the elemental chi born to the respective princesses, and those princesses are seen as the protectors of the world."_

_"And you want me to crush the princesses?" Var asked._

_"I want you to help me seize them. I discovered that there is a system of magitech that connects these Runestones to the Heart of Etheria. Etheria itself is a weapon of mass destruction! And the primary key to this weapon is the one known as 'She-Ra,' the only warrior who can channel and utilize all of the planet's chi once the magitech directs it into her. I'm given to understand that the planet was somehow 'hidden' in order to stop the weapon from falling into enemy hands, but Etheria was freed from its prison when the current She-Ra used the weapon herself. We must seize the five princesses who can harness the Runestones, as well as She-Ra herself, so that it may become ours to command."_

_"Color me intrigued, Eggy. But if snatching princesses is what you want, I'm the perfect gal for the job. I'm just worried about the Phoenios butting in."_

_"Then you'd best assume a careful approach. Leave the first phase of the invasion to me. I'd hate to lose my new associate to outside interference. In fact, I want to give you the most important and difficult part of all: seizing She-Ra."_

Varcrutis was currently submerged near the shore of a great lake. This lake separated the town of Bright Moon from the Whispering Woods. The golden castle of Bright Moon stood proudly on a cliff, a bridge connecting it to a pillar in the center of the lake. The Moonstone levitated above this pillar, visible for all to see as the kingdom's primary landmark. A magical barrier was projected around the town as Eggman's ships tried to breach it, but some robots had managed to infiltrate the town and were in battle with local guards and KND operatives. The same was true of other Runestone kingdoms, but not only was this kingdom the capital, it was She-Ra's home. Var's sights were set on the Moonstone, which She-Ra and her friends would no doubt try to protect.

"Look, Grounder! There she is!" Var heard a familiar voice and rose up, seeing Scratch and Grounder on the beach.

"What are you two doing here?"

"Dr. Robotnik wanted us to check on you. We found you with this energy-signature thingy." Scratch held up a small TV device.

"We just wanna protect you in case any KND brats find you by accident." Grounder said.

"Kind of counterintuitive since you'll give me away, anyway. Besides, I don't need protection. If any nuisances wander their way over here, I'll knock them out in one hit."

"I'm a little scared of She-Ra though. What if she decides to use the weapon against us?"

"She couldn't just use it whenever she wants to, Dumbbot!" Scratch retorted. "That's why we're trying to capture all the other princesses! Besides, She-Ra won't stand a chance when Robotnik finishes his new robot."

"By the time Robotnik gets here," Var replied, "I'll already have She-Ra laying in a puddle of her own blood. And that's even IF I have to get serious with her. No amount of power she can muster can compare to-"

"ROBOTS?! Away with you, foul villains!"

A purple-haired man with a mustache, blue jacket, and brown boots came charging up the beach. With stylish bravery and exaggerated technique, he landed a mighty punch to Scratch's beak and kicked Grounder in the chest, the robots crying as they tumbled over.

"Wow, you guys really are low-budget." Var remarked.

"Never fear, my darling civilian!" the man proclaimed with a marvelous air. "No villain can hide from Sea Hawk on his afternoon jog! Say, come to think of it, you smell like a Fishwoman." He slid over to put an arm around Var. "You must have heard of me. I happen to be special 'friends' with Princess Mermista, after all."

"Did you know that whales are good at volleyball?" Var asked.

"That's quite an interesting fact. Why, it's almost as interesting as-"

Varcrutis reached up, seemed to grab one of the moons in the sky, and slammed it over Sea Hawk's head. Blood spurted from his face as he plopped into the water, the miniaturized moon floating around him. "Case and point, dumbbots. She-Ra won't even know what hit her when I'm through. …Huh? What's this energy I'm sensing? Are they already here?!"

A great vortex seemed to open in the sky above Bright Moon: the townspeople were agape as a phoenix seemed to descend from the heavens. "Cuckoo! It's the Space Phoenix!" Scratch cried. "It's come for revenge!"

"Hold on… that isn't her." Var glared. Indeed, this alleged phoenix possessed a metallic body, and though its silver wings shimmered pink, it was merely transferring the Space Chi around its body.

_"OH HO HO HO! Behold, my latest and greatest creation! Born from the feather of a Space Phoenix, I have created the Egg Phoenix! This will be the symbol of Bright Moon's destruction! So, come at me, She-Ra! Face me if you dare! GYEEEEH HEH HEH heh heh!"_

"He managed to snag one of her feathers?!" Var gasped. "And whipped up a robot that quickly?! This guy's good. But no way am I gonna let him upstage me. She-Ra's bound to show up any second. Time to make for the Moonstone." She dove into the lake and swam for the central pillar.

"W-W-W-Wait for us!" Scratch crowed as he and Grounder scurried across the beach.

"…" A blackish-blue, staticky aura sparked around the moon in the water before it disappeared and reappeared in the sky. "Ahhhgg…" Sea Hawk helped himself up, rubbing the blood off his nose. "I take that to mean you aren't interested."

* * *

**Etheria comes from _She-Ra_. Going back to the first note, it's a magical planet, is named after Ether, and it uses gems for power sources!**


	15. You Are Our Humble Guest

**Reality is cruel. That's why we have fantasy. And often times, fantasy alters our perception of reality. That's why we believe good always wins. Everyone has their own perception of reality, and such is reflected in fiction. There are as many realities as there are people. But try to destroy reality… and reality will destroy you.**

* * *

**_Chapter 15: You Are Our Humble Guest_**

**Etheria**

The Egg Phoenix had punctured Bright Moon's barrier, mounting its metallic talons on a tower of the castle. _"Citizens of Bright Moon, your day of reckoning has arrived!"_ Eggman blasted a beam from the phoenix's mouth, striking a group of buildings as they were warped to a Pocket Dimension. _"Once I control the unstoppable secret of your planet, the universe will tremble before me! Those who do not surrender will wallow in misery within 'Egg Space'! So, make your choice, Bright Moon! Surrender or be banished to the dimension you spawned from!"_

Three teenagers were racing across a bridge leading from the castle to the central pillar: one was a blonde, ponytailed girl with a red soldier's uniform; another was a purple-clothed princess with pink, glittery hair; the third was a dark-skinned boy with a white, sleeveless shirt with an exposed belly, and a bow-and-arrow. "These robots don't look like Horde creations!" yelled Adora, the ponytailed girl.

"Whatever that bird robot is, it looks really powerful!" Princess Glimmer said. "I'll need as much energy from the Moonstone as I can get."

"Were there some remnants of the Horde after all?!" cried Bow, the archer boy. "What if they're sending a million tiny microbots into our brains to control us?!"

"Calm down, Bow!" Adora yelled. "Everything will be fine once we get to the Moonstone!"

The trio entered the central pillar and raced up a flight of stairs. They exited to the top—immediately blinded by the bright light of the Sunstone. "AAAAAH!" screamed Glimmer. "Where's that light coming from?!"

"Y'know, this planet feels too pale for my tastes." said a seductive voice belonging to a silhouette against the light. "I decided to light it up some. Get a tan, why don't ya?"

"I'll have you know I'm quite proud of my tan!" Bow shouted.

"Hm?" Varcrutis dimmed the light back to normal. "Oh, so you do. That's weird, is it some sort of moon tan?"

"Who the heck are you?!" Adora yelled.

"I'm just a humble visitor wanting to liven things up. I decided to make your Moonstone into a Sunstone! Like it?!" Var flicked her finger up like a light switch, repeatedly switching the light on and off.

"STOP DOING THAT!" Bow yelled. "Just what are you doing here?!"

"I'm here for two things: I want this Lightswitch Stone and I want She-Ra. We're just destroying your town for funsies, yeah."

"That is NOT something you do for FUNSIES!" Bow declared passionately, grabbing his signature weapon and pulling back an arrow.

Var swiftly yanked Bow over, smacked his bow away, and quickly bent and tied him into a bow shape. "Your parents spared no expense naming you~" she remarked, twirling Bow on her finger as he flung toward Adora. As she worked to untie him, Glimmer grit her teeth and began to rapidly warp around Var, shooting Sparkle Beams at the demon. Var grunted from the attacks, trying to catch her bearings on the foe—until she brushed her hand like a fan and stirred the air, scattering Glimmer's sparkles in a whirlwind.

"Whoa-whoa-whoooooaaaaa!" As Glimmer reformed, appearing as a stretched, distorted form, she crashed on the ground, feeling sick to her bent stomach.

Overcome with fury, Adora rose to full height. "Alright. You want She-Ra?! You GOT She-Ra! For the honor of GRAYSKULL!" The heroine whipped out a large sword and raised it skyward. In a flash of light, Adora grew taller, donned in white attire, and golden hair shining with hope.

_"I feel a sudden surge of energy!"_ The Egg Phoenix flapped over and hovered near the platform. _"She-Ra, the honored hero of Etheria. Can that little sword really match the two of us?"_

"Save your energy, Eggy! This girl is nothing compared to ME!" Varcrutis swiped her claws at She-Ra, the heroine blocking with her blade. Adora leapt away and slashed rainbow beams, but Var seemed to whip out paintbrushes and colored the rainbows dark. She danced her way to She-Ra and dyed her hair black.

"What the-?!" As Adora questioned the effect, her powers seemed to die down as well. "Huh?! What did you do to my-"

Var kicked Adora off her feet and stomped her face. "And that's how you crush a hero!"

_"You…you defeated She-Ra that quickly?! But my intel states she's fought hundreds of…"_

"Hundreds, shmundreds, there's no hero in the universe that can top me!"

_"Ho ho ho…then hiring you was truly the right choice. With you by my side, conquering the rest of Etheria will be a walk in the park!"_

"Nnngh…ugh…" Hearing grunting, Varcrutis looked down as Adora pushed herself up. "I won't… lose to you…" Her black hair flickered with blonde.

"Spare yourself the trouble, sweetie." Var kicked her in the jaw as Adora fell back. "With me around, there is no victory! That's the reality of it! That is YOUR reality!" She raised her foot and stomped the Sword of Protection, shattering it.

_"VAR! What have you done?! We need that sword to use the weapon!"_

"Will you relax, I can repair it just as easily. For now, it's best to keep She-Ra out of commission. With this, I have achieved victory! I won, just as I did on that day! I am-!"

"You didn't win, Var."

Flinching, Var whipped around. Dimentia stood, her white hood covering all but her somber frown. "Well, you're taking the direct approach today. Hm, what's this…" She looked around. "…Where are the other Phoenios? They planning a surprise attack?"

"…" Dimentia raised both hands and snapped her fingers. At that instant, a tomato and an egg splorped out of space… and smashed against her own head. "In this universe… we get _hit_ by the tomato and egg."

"…" Var truly didn't know how to react. She… really didn't know. "…Is this some new fashion trend?"

"There are no other Phoenios, Var. No Phoenios are going to stop you. Including myself."

"Good, then go away. I have a planet to conquer."

"I pity you, Varcrutis. You were given a great privilege… the ability to explore and observe any universe of your choosing. But instead, you choose to hurt them. You enforce your own sick reality over them. But you know what, Var? This reality isn't yours to abuse. In this universe, when an evil adult harasses kids… the kids fight BACK!"

"YAAAAAAHHH!" A scream rang from above: Var faced up, gasping as Rex and Pyra were falling from above, ready to splice her in half with a giant, flaming sword! Though surprised by their sudden appearance, Var bent reality to turn Pyra blue, her sword spurting water as it merely splashed over Var with no damage. She grabbed both friends by the neck and violently slammed them to the ground.

_"Was that supposed to be a sneak attack?"_ Eggman chortled. _"I expected the little Space Phoenix to return, but I didn't expect such mediocre help!"_

"Ha ha ha! Just what was THAT about?!" Varcrutis cackled. "Did you seriously let a mortal get hurt on YOUR behalf?! So obsessed with upholding the law and you've gone and broken it! You really don't care anymore, do you?! Hah, you're no different from me! You're no-"

"-YAAAAAH!"

A flaming sword shattered reality and sliced Varcrutis down the front. As her body seared with the scalding flames of Pyra's sword, the fragments of Var's superficial reality flew past her eyes, glittering and vanishing as the duo's expressions brimmed with power and pride.

Var stumbled backward, coughing as she angrily brushed the soot off. "You…you brats… How…"

"We know how your powers work." Rex stated. "You distort reality in your own image, try to force us to give in to your designs, but the reality you bend isn't permanent! It isn't real! You bend reality to make it seem like we lose! Because it feels real, that's how you make people submit! But we… REJECT THAT REALITY!"

"Reject that reality?" Adora repeated, staring at her broken sword. "It isn't real? …It isn't REAL!" The heroine grabbed the severed hilt, throwing it skyward as it grew back and shattered the false reality.

"I KNEW this wasn't humanly possible!" Bow remarked at his tied form. "Just because my name is Bow, just because I use a bow, I am not a bow! I REJECT THIS FORM!" He shattered and sprouted up to full height.

"I am the future queen of Bright Moon!" Glimmer declared, shattering back to her normal proportions. "I won't lose to you!"

"No!" Var shouted. "Th-that…that's not how it works. No no no no no no! My reality is the law! I'm the master of reality! You're nothing to my powers! I'll break you all!"

"Go ahead and break us." Nia stated, using waterbending to heal Team Adora's injuries. "I'll fix everyone right up. Want us to wash that off?"

Before a response could be delivered, She-Ra whipped her sword like a bat and blasted Var off the pillar, crashing against the shore across the lake. Scratch and Grounder were buried under a wave of sand. "Ursula, Song Road!" Nia ordered.

"Right!" (Play "Xenoblade Medley" from _Smash Ultimate_!)

_Boss fight: Varcrutis Depraritas_

Rex, Pyra, Nia, and Adora surfed the Song Road to the shore. Var growled and, from her distance, snapped the road like scissors, but even after splashing in the lake, Nia brushed them to the shore with her bending. Rex and Pyra charged first, slashing fire waves at Varcrutis, who smacked the flames away and ran toward the couple. She looked up at the moons and smacked them away, bringing darkness and cold to the world. It seemed to hinder them as Rex started shivering, but he kept proud and true and relied on Pyra for warmth. The Blade flicked fire sparks around Var that burst quickly, surrounding the orca in smoke.

"Cough, cough!" She quickly ran out of the smoke and made it become a heavy oil, but was bashed in the head by She-Ra's sword. The princess rapidly slashed her sacred blade, struggling to muster power despite the apparent lack of moons. Var countered her with a flurry of scratches, swinging her arms around the sword to cut her face. With each blow, Adora's sword sparked with magic, and when the dark sky shattered and revealed the moons, a burst of power blew Var into the woods, knocking down a line of trees. She kicked up and dashed to slash Adora's stomach, and when Rex tried to attack, she dodged and slashed his cheek, then leapt to grab and slam both faces into each other. Quick on recovery, Rex grabbed Adora and lifted to swing her into Var sword-first, sending her across the beach. It was only then Var realized Nia was projecting an aura field over the group to heal them.

Var "popped" the aura like a bubble, but Nia rushed her, drawing a scimitar with a watery design as she slashed deadly waves at Varcrutis. "You know I'm a whale, right?!" Var remarked, easily splashing the waves out of the air. "I don't mind getting a little wet!" She jabbed her claws at Nia in attempt to stab her, but the Gormotti was a swift and fluent dodger. Var then noticed Ursula singing a carefree song, helping Nia move gracefully in evasion. Var decided to dance as well, grabbing hold of Nia and blowing into her cat ear, blowing her up like a balloon. "Let's see ya dance after I pop ya—HUUUOOO!" Var's eyes suddenly swelled up, her vision becoming stretched and blurry. "HEY! What the hell is this?! What did you…"

"I wasn't just splashing you just now!" Nia remarked. "I increased the reproduction rate of your cells. Ya should get a checkup on that."

"Let's go, Beary!" Ursula danced onto her companion as the polar bear charged at Var with a flurry of claw swipes, grabbing and throwing her to Adora, who batted her away. Var splashed in the lake, but deflated her eyes and swam back with breakneck speed. She dove and shot 50 feet out of the water, aiming to headbutt Rex like a bullet.

"KOS-MOS!" Rex swapped Pyra out for KOS-MOS, who blocked Var's attack with a Light Shield. Adora was quick to slam Var to the ground after the fact, then Rex began pelting her with light bullets from KOS-MOS's blaster. Var stretched her arm and grabbed KOS-MOS's visor, pulling a curtain down to block her vision. Adora quickly slashed the arm, Var pulling back as she began pulling moons down to throw at the princess. Adora blocked, but was unprepared as Var grabbed the castle itself and smashed it over all of them. Adora pushed the castle up with her own strength, smashing it like glass as the real castle returned. She spun at Var with a Hurricane Spin while Nia slashed her from behind. Varcrutis jumped away from the two, poking a hole in herself to let out any unwanted cells.

KOS-MOS unloaded Light Bullets onto Var. She ran to them, but was intercepted by Adora, the heroine jabbing her with the sword before kicking back. Var saw Ursula dancing in the air and making Music Notes, and Leic was dancing with her as well. "Aluben showed me this one! It's called the Skeleton Dance! 'Course, it works better if you're a skeleton."

Ursula cast the notes down at Var, some hitting while she grabbed two of them by the tails. She stretched and whirled them as bludgeons as she bashed Nia and Adora's heads. Nia tried to heal, but Var grabbed and slammed her into the sand—Adora stabbed at her, Var grabbing the sword and pushing back. She squeezed the sword and cracked it, but Adora was still determined to push her. The sword crackled with blue static, and its cracks disappeared. "It should be breaking! Why doesn't it break?! If I could puncture the _Noah_, this cheap sword should…"

"I don't know what you're talking about, but we went through a lot of trouble to rebuild this thing." Adora said. "I won't let the likes of you break it!" With a pulse of strength, she shoved Var away, but KOS-MOS was ready to catch her and release a Light Explosion. Adora used her own powers to heal Nia herself.

Dimentia was sitting patiently on the Moonstone's pillar, watching the bout. "That firebender girl isn't even using her powered-up form. I think we may be overpowered, Plex."

"But what do you plan to do about that one?" Plex indicated the Egg Phoenix. Tora and Poppi had appeared after the battle started, the robot Blade shoving the Phoenix away with her drill. Bow had been shooting Sticky Arrows at the robot's wings while Glimmer was warping around it to shoot Sparkle Beams from unsuspecting spots. "That machine feels powered with your chi!"

"I guess Eggman managed to steal one of my feathers. And since he's a native of this universe, he's not technically hindered by the same rule."

"Excuse me, ma'am!" Bow yelled to Dimentia. "I assume you're a good guy, so could you possibly help us?"

"Don't mind me!" Dimentia raised hands. "I'm just a retired principal. But if you win, I'll let you try my bow." She presented said weapon.

Bow gazed at it with brightened, emotional eyes. "I'll try my hardest!"

Poppi launched rockets at the Phoenix, but it warped away. "Behind you!" Glimmer yelled, but the mecha-bird swatted Poppi with its wing. Glimmer warped to catch Poppi and return her to the pillar, but Eggman was quick to warp himself and smash them under its talons. The Phoenix lifted the two and flew to slam them against the castle.

_"I was told a Space Phoenix's feathers are beyond compare! Even one gives me the power to breach dimensions! You snot-nosed hooligans are going to be smothered between-"_

"Poppi! Activate QTπ Mode!" Tora commanded.

Poppi transformed into a more mature form and used enhanced strength to push the Phoenix off, while Glimmer had warped to the pillar. Poppi unloaded a storm of missiles onto the mech, but Eggman warped to her side to deal a ram attack. Poppi dodged, then Glimmer warped onto the Phoenix's eyes to block his vision. _"Get off my windshield, you dirty fly!"_ Eggman struggled to shake her off, but Glimmer only did so just as Poppi was charging to push the Phoenix with great momentum, smashing it against the shore. Eggman swat her away and flapped to recovery. He looked to Var's battle as Rex had switched back to Pyra, trying to surround her with smoke while Adora stopped her from escaping. _"Do you need a little help, Varcrutis? Seems like you're outnumbered."_

"Worry about your own battle, Egghead! I can handle my own just fine!"

_"If you insist. They won't have any fighting spirit after I banish their Moonstone to Egg Space!"_

_"I am Seeeea Hawk! I am, I am! If you're looking for adventure, then I am your man!"_

The sound of an accordion rang from the distance. Eggman turned with confusion as some sort of hi-tech vessel was flying their way. _"If you want to ride on the waves of deepest blue, to perilous winds, then I got you. Some say I'm a HERO! Some say I'm a MAN—AAAAHH!"_ The vessel's captain cried when Eggman launched a beam, the ship barely dodging.

"Sea Hawk?!" Bow exclaimed.

"He's using the abandoned Horde ship we found?" Glimmer asked.

_"So, another nuisance has come to join the party?"_ Eggman asked.

"I am no nuisance, villain!" Sea Hawk proclaimed. "Let me demonstrate the power of the _Dragon's Daughter XI_! A little fire blaster will scorch those feathers~" He pushed a button beside a flame icon. The ship's jet boosters dramatically ignited, exploding as the vessel caught fire. "Whoops. Meant to get those fixed. MAYDAY! WHOOOOAA!" The captain struggled to maintain control as the burning ship spun downward.

_"How incompetent can you be? Now then, back to warping the castle."_ Eggman set the Phoenix's sights on the castle again, but as Sea Hawk pressed all manner of buttons to save himself, the ship tilted and launched upward. _"GEEEEEEHHH!"_ The keel punctured the chest of the Egg Phoenix. _"NOOO! What have you done?! Get out! Get out of my robot!"_ Eggman frantically warped the bird around, but Sea Hawk merely came with him each time, the fires spreading to the Phoenix. The others could only watch as they warped from one side of the sky to the other repeatedly.

"Uhhh…see, it did work out." Dimentia said confusedly.

Var crossed her arms to defend from She-Ra's next flurry, the Sword of Protection close to cutting her skin. "THAT'S IT!" Without warning, Varcrutis clasped Adora's head in both hands. "I'm through playing around! IT'S TIME TO MAKE YOU RED PASTE!" And she squeezed with such force that Adora's head splattered. A fountain of blood came spewing out. "HA HA HA HA! This is the reality you live in, brats! In the grand scheme, all you are is-"

"I REFUSE!" Adora broke from the imitation of her own corpse and SLAMMED the sword powerfully onto Var's head.

"NOW, REX!" Pyra yelled. She and Nia, on either of Rex's sides, held hands with him, their swords in-between. "NEXUS FORCE!" They SMASHED the blades down onto Var, followed by a swing from Pyra's, a strike from Nia's, and one final cross strike that blew Var to the sky.

"AAAAGH!" She regained herself and remained airborne. "FINE! You want to see real power, fools?! Let's see how you like it when I-"

The Egg Phoenix suddenly warped out from her side—Varcrutis was rammed by the crashed _Dragon's Daughter_, forced into the burning ship as she hit Sea Hawk, and they were further shoved into Eggman's cockpit, bonking him as well. The Phoenix became a body of flames instead of space, the pink wings becoming embers. _"NO! MY BEAUTIFUL WINGS!"_ They were like a flaming fan as they were descending directly toward the woods.

"Hold tightly, my beautiful Fishwoman!" Sea Hawk hugged Var fearfully.

"NO!" Var struggled to shove him off. "NOT LIKE THIS! I won't go down like-!" (End song.)

The Phoenix violently crashed through the trees and along the ground, pieces flying off before they came to a sudden stop. Sea Hawk was propelled into the air, his head having gone through his accordion, which played one last, despairing jingle before he crashed headfirst into the robot's upturned opening.

A bunch of other operatives had hurried to the battle site and ran to observe the wreckage. Among these people was a muscular, purple-skinned Etherian woman. Dimentia warped over and rejoined Leic, going to see the results with the others. …It seemed Sea Hawk's legs were sticking out of the robot.

_"Sigh…alright. It seems there's no other way out of this."_ Sea Hawk could be heard saying. _"Johnny? Alberto? Do your thing."_

And with that, the Egg Phoenix exploded. Sea Hawk went rocketing to the sky, his expression cool and charming as he became like a shooting star.

Amongst the smoking wreckage of the machine, Eggman and Varcrutis were fallen. Their expressions were clear with exhaust. "…Ugh…" The Daemonis helped herself up, coughing soot. "You… How dare you humiliate me like this…" Var glared at them with seething rage. "I am a Blood Knight, you worms! The Devil of Distortion is my father! I'm higher than ALL OF YOU!"

"No, you are not." Dimentia stated firmly. "Neither you, nor the Phoenios. You are not higher than anyone. The universe you hail from is no better or worse than any other universe. You are as equal to these mortals as they are to you. But if you had bothered to read the rules, you would know that visitors from another universe have their Power Levels tweaked to befit the world they're in. This way, the Multiverse helps maintain balance and peace. It's not your place to hurt these people, Varcrutis. And these operatives only represent a small fraction of the universe's power. And you are **not wanted here**."

Var's pupils shrank with anger. "I'm not wanted here, am I?" She closed her eyes and smiled. "Do you think I haven't heard those _same_ words, over, and over, and over, and over, and OVER AGAIN?!" She flew up and PUNCHED Dimentia in the jaw. "And what makes you Phoenios so special?! Why do you get to go around and tell everyone WE'RE the bad guys?! You're no different than we are!" She punched Dimentia left and right, the woman merely standing and taking it. "Going around to wherever you want, looking for Invieres and making friends with all the benevolent gods, all for your self-benefit! Why should YOU be the only one who makes FRIENDS, Dimentia?!"

Dimentia grabbed her arm, holding it in place. From under her hood, she glared at Var with cold eyes. "Dimentia?" the purple-skinned woman whispered.

"You made that choice, Varcrutis." Dimentia stated. "You chose to attack my daughter, and Cheren, and Maddy, Melody, Aurora, and April. You chose to hurt them. This is your last chance, Var. You are going to look these children in the eyes and say… 'I'm sorry for my rudeness.'"

Varcrutis clenched her orca teeth. "I… will never say that. I am sorry… for NOTHING. I am above you wretched mortals. I could make you all my slaves if the gods would allow me! All of you are WORMS!" She yanked her arm away. She pointed at Rex, Adora, Bow, Ursula, and Leic, "You, and you, and you, and you, and you, and y-" Then at Eggman.

She stopped herself. It seemed the scientist had recovered from the crash. "…" He merely stared at her with a disapproving look. "So, that's how it is, eh? Hmm…" He shook his head with disappointment. "Var… You're fired."

". . . . . . ." Her arm dropped. Her expression was rather frozen. "…Fired? Did…did I not just get you a phoenix feather… like I promised?"

"And what a lot of good it did." He remarked sarcastically. "Besides… I'm the one who caught the phoenix."

"…" It almost seemed like she wasn't sure how to react. "Nobody… fires me. I decide… who gets fired. And I do not get fired." She slowly ascended to the sky. "And this planet… **has no more… USE FOR ME."**

There was an incredible surge in power: Varcrutis was growing to a tremendous size, her body morphing into a terrifying orca demon. As she rose beyond the atmosphere, the sky was completely eclipsed: Varcrutis had become the size of a planet.

"Oh… my…" Bow was internally, terrifically panicking.

**_"Now, do you see? All of you… miserable insects… and your inferior forms. I am higher than the universe… I am the master of reality… I…I…I… can't… move…"_**

She had become frozen, slowly orbiting. The denizens were questioning this phenomena. **_"IIIIIiiiiiiii… dooooon't… Whaaaat iiiis… Whaaat did yooouuu… dooooo… tooooo… meeeee…?"_**

"I'm sure the rules mention somewhere that when you undergo a dramatic size increase, your body and brain become impaired." Dimentia said. "I kind of did that once. Heh, I must've sounded pretty goofy. In her own universe, Var has no trouble with this, but I guess that rule takes precedence for her, too."

"So… what do we do?" Bow asked.

"She'll shrink down in a few moments. …But until then, want a shot with my bow?" She presented the weapon to him.

"Ab-so-lutely…" Bow cried, fondling the elegant weapon.

"Just aim right up and take your best shot." She crouched down and pointed up. Bow pulled the arrow back and aimed at the massive target.

"Dimentia," Plex replied, "that boy couldn't possibly muster enough strength to-"

The arrow flew like a comet. It struck Varcrutis's tremendous body… and warped her in an instant. "…Perhaps I spoke too soon."

"So… where has she gone?" Rex asked.

"To her talk." Dimentia answered.

…

Var had compressed back to normal from the warping and splashed into an ocean under a dark sky. "Bleh!" She resurfaced, catching her breath and reorganizing her mind. "Impossible… I should've been able to…"

_"Why, hello, Varcrutis."_

An echoing voice spoke from above. Var looked up… There was a great whale with large fins, red lines across his blue and white body. "…Wait… you're Kyogre. What the hell are you doing here?"

_"Dimentia asked me to come. I was rather curious when she claimed she needed my help to catch a Daemonis… until she mentioned you. Then, it all became clear to me. …You hurt my granddaughter."_

"Who? …Oh, yeah." Var vaguely recalled the Melody girl from the _Noah_. "Heh, you're lucky because I coulda done a lot worse."

_"Now, Var, I know that young ladies like yourself love to play around. Why, I remember when I was a young fish. But as you grow older, there are some things you have to understand. First, know that you are our humble guest, and as such-"_

Var whipped her leg up, the blow to the jaw bending Kyogre's head upward. There was a remarkable dent. _"…Heh heh heh. Okay, I'll give you that one."_ He laughed it off earnestly and faced down. _"However, you must learn to respect those that were kind enough to welcome you. What you did was-"_

Var grabbed his back fin and solidified the sea, violently bashing him around before throwing him away. _"…Now, Var…"_ He flipped himself upright, _"I get that this is your pastime, but you really should not interrupt a grown-up when he's talking. As a grandfather, I feel very-"_

Var twisted his body like a sponge and squeezed every ounce of blue from his system. He then tied him into a knot before discarding him. _"…All right."_ In an instant, he puffed back to normal. _"If this is the only way to get through to you… **so be it."**_ And his eyes flashed red with malice. (Play "Simba vs. Scar" from _Lion King_!)

In a split second, the sea around Var dramatically sank 10,000 meters downward, sucking her down like a vacuum. The water around the sides erected icicle spikes to puncture the Daemonis from any possible angle. Assuming her hybrid form, Varcrutis flew up the pit and endured the stabs—she had even grabbed and taken a thousand icicles with her to stab them into Kyogre. The Sea King melted the ice, but Var followed with a stomp to his teeth, blasting him miles away. She flew after and aimed to scratch his eye, but the eye flashed, and Var's hand immediately swelled up like a balloon. The moment of surprise allowed Kyogre to bat Var away with his tail, and he created a mountainous iceberg to absorb her impact.

"Hey, you ripped off the cat girl's technique!" Var yelled.

_"I took inspiration from it. Funny thing, Varcrutis, although we gods created the elements, the mortals invented most of the techniques for the arts. Viridi and Hexxus learned to become Logias, even. The mortals are excellent teachers for us gods."_

"So, what if they're the teachers? It still doesn't change that your power is superior to theirs."

_"There are things we gods can do that mortals cannot, yes. But mortals carry this universe all the same. We exist to serve them. Even when branding the second universe, we acted under the instruction of the trolls, and after that, we followed the KND's instruction in creating the New Planets."_

He willed the iceberg to compress and collapse onto Var, but she burst free with her own strength. She balled the iceberg up herself and kicked it brutally against Kyogre, and as it flew away, she grabbed his tail, flew after, and continued bashing him against it. But upon one bash, Kyogre willed the iceball to explode into searing hot steam, making it as hot and un-breathable as smoke in order to choke her. Kyogre tail-whacked her away again, willing the steam to go with her, and he bent Water Whips up to keep batting them around no matter how far. However, Var had escaped at some point, bending reality to make it seem like she was still in the steam ball. She shot up from beneath Kyogre to impale his stomach with her claws.

"And why are you lecturing me about mortals?! I did my research, buddy boy, and I KNOW that you killed a mortal who was threatening your kingdom!"

_"Yes, Varcrutis. That man threatened my daughter and her friends. My excuse was that I did not wish for Eva to burden herself with the guilt of killing someone, should the situation resort to that. She and Melody alike are very sensitive girls, emotional, overburdened, but struggling desperately to stay kind and true. Davy Jones was a man already bound for death, so there were no qualms about 'slaying' him, but fellow humans are different. Still, that did not excuse my sin. So, I asked Groudon to throw me in his volcano and submitted myself to a million lashes from his Lava Whips."_

"Man, you must be really kinky!"

_"I've made too many mistakes in my lifetime, Varcrutis. No god is perfect, but one can eventually drown their self in their own regret."_ And so, it began to rain extremely heavily. The droplets were gray with gloom, their weight immense as they forced both Kyogre and Var into the ocean. The Rain of Regrets continued to push them down to the seafloor. The color drained from their beings as a feeling of depression weighed on their resolve. _"But what place does a mere outsider have in criticizing us? Especially one that believes they can take whatever they please. My mistakes are menial to your crimes."_

"That's the difference between us, Kingas: I don't feel regrets!" Varcrutis stuck a thumb in her mouth and blew, puffing herself with color and willing the droplets to become dust bunnies.

_"What did you call me?"_

"KINGAS!" She conjured a giant, limbless Eggman and made it bounce and smash Kyogre beneath its rump. "KINGAS! KINGAS! KINGAS! KINGAS!"

Kyogre used Water Slices to dice the Eggman up, then grabbed and slammed the pieces into Var. Kyogre took an enormous breath, sucking every ounce of the sea like a black hole. Varcrutis swam against the current, surviving until all the sea was gone down the king's throat. He flew above and spat the water onto Var as an endless gush of extreme power and force. "MMMM, I love me a good drink!" Var gurgled, drinking as much of the water as she could. The rest of the water spread off to refill the ocean, and by the time Kyogre was emptied, the sea was only half as full as before.

Kyogre watched the sea calmly, awaiting the next attack. Seeing the large silhouette beneath the surface, Varcrutis exploded above and rammed Kyogre with the weight of her full orca form. Kyogre flipped in the sky and became upright. The cold, frowning stare of the whale met the mad, malicious smirk of the orca. "Hey, remind me, Kingas: if a god has children, doesn't that mean they can be killed?"

_"Indeed, it does, Varcrutis. For a long time, I've felt my end coming. My age reaching its limits. But I will not be felled by a disrespectful brat like yourself. If I am to be felled by anyone, it will be by mortal hands. So long as I can do my part to bolster their hope… then it gives me hope in TURN!"_

There was a terrific surge of power as Kyogre transformed: his skin becoming a deeper shade of blue, his red lines disappearing, replaced by bubbles of golden chi that coursed through his being, he was Primal Kyogre. With more graceful and focused motion, he flew to the orca, and they rammed with a collision that spread the sea like an ever-rising crater. They determinedly shoved each other to prove the superior weight and power, but as the ocean waves had looped above and were about to descend, Kyogre willed some gushes to shoot down. Those gushes turned gold from Kyogre's chi, striking Var with purifying light.

Varcrutis willed Kyogre's gold channels to turn silver like cement, clogging his flow of chi. She sank her teeth into his upper lip, puncturing the armor painfully. She tried to twist the lip, but Kyogre bit into her lower lip and injured her just the same. The whales wrestled, lip against lip, but as Kyogre's determination grew, the cement chi paths shattered and became gold again. Kyogre performed a full rotation and twisted Var's lips completely, the sudden sensation causing tears to erupt. Kyogre spun free and dove into the sea, inhaling the half-full ocean once again. The whale king flew in a circle, Var turning to face him—he crashed and made contact with her lips once more.

Kyogre spat the golden water into her being, making sure she ingested every last drop. Var smirked and welcomed the luscious drink… but her eyes and blood vessels began to swell. The orca bloated up like a puffer-fish. She struggled to shake the king off, and even shooting water out the blowhole was pointless as Kyogre willed it to clog right up. "BAAAAHH!" Varcrutis willed her mouth to stretch wider and CHOMPED Kyogre's face, spewing the water directly back into him. "If your mortals are so great, why don't you let them finish me off yourself?!"

_"I had only wished to speak with you, but you wished for violence. Besides, the mortals had already beaten you, and if the fight had prolonged, there was no way you could have won. You were never meant to win, Varcrutis. Like The Thirteen, you are an Original that has overestimated your position. You were fated to lose in this universe, just as you did on the _Noah_."_

"NO! I WON!" Varcrutis chomped the king, his head riddled with deep bites. "I would have won that battle! I would've crushed your planets! We're above your ability to handle. You are beneath me! And I won't let some lesser whale sully my reputation, LET ALONE YOUR LITTLE KIDDIES!" And one final chomp completely diced the king into pieces, some of which flowed down her throat. (End song.)

"Huff…fuff…fuff…HA HA HA ha ha ha! That was nothing! Absolutely nothing!" The universe fizzed like static. "I tasted gods WAY better than that! That didn't…" The horizon blinked into black, "even…" and then the ground around her. Varcrutis was completely surrounded in darkness.

_"Heh heh heh heh…ha ha ha ha ha…HA HA HA ha ha…!"_

A bunch of red, eerie Kyogres formed around Varcrutis. The sound of his deep voice haunted the soul. _"Oh, Var… how long are you going to stay trapped in this twisted reality of yours?"_

"What, are you suddenly the Nightmare King or something?"

_"Benders of one element can utilize techniques of another with enough thinking. The chi of fearbenders is able to distort and twist the mind… and so can water."_ In reality, Varcrutis was being bound in place in the strong grip of Kyogre's water, willing it to flow into her tearducts. Her orca form had retracted to her human one. _"When you ingested my water just now, I willed some of it to wash your brain and distort your already-twisted perception. Really, you mustn't drink a god's spit, it's simply unsanitary. Now, if you would be a good girl and pay attention, I can teach you clearly what you did wrong."_

"My twisted perception?! My reality is wrong?! Don't make me laugh! You're the ones who can't accept there are universes stronger than yours!"

_"Why should that matter in the least? We are not the ones who invaded YOUR home. We have no business in other universes. The gods and KND need only worry about this one, just as you should worry only for yours. When will you let go of this arrogant misconception that you own and are responsible for all the omniverse?"_

"If it's anyone's fault, it's the Phoenios!" Varcrutis yelled, coming out of the nightmare vision as she could feel the water forced into her ducts. "They're the ones trying to reap from the universes and get the better of us! Just like Dimentia! So, we have to do the same!"

_"Then it seems both of you need to understand where you belong. However, at least the Phoenios can present their selves as better guests for the most part. They seem to possess a decent respect for the mortals and understand the pain they feel. Did you know, Var? As the God of Water, I am the one who enabled mortals to sweat and cry. I gave them the blood that pumps them. And every single tear that hits the ground, every ounce of emotion dropped… I am there. When those tears evaporate into the air, I am there to collect them."_

"Man, you really are kinky!" Var smirked, the water continuing to flow into her eyes. "Personally, I'm much more into…into… w-wait a minute… this ain't normal water! Th-This… Is this…?!" She began to panic with realization.

_"Yes, Var. This water is composed of the tears those children have dropped over the years. Accept these tears… and know the hardships they endured."_ A vision of Cheren appeared in her mind, crying on his bed following the death of his father. _"Understand all the work they contribute to keep the cosmos alive."_ Melody was crying as Tsu tried to comfort her. _"Understand what they accomplished."_ Deku and Eri embraced in a loving hug. _"A disrespectful heathen like you could never understand these feelings."_

Varcrutis suddenly found herself in Moonbase, the atmosphere an eerie blood-red. _"You see, Var, your status does not exist here."_ The Kids Next Door were all facing her, eyes brimming red with malice. _"You are not a Blood Knight… You have no reputation… You have no power…"_ Varcrutis shirked before their cold, deathly stares as Kyogre's imposing, monstrous form loomed over the darkness. His voice vibrated her eardrums with every rasped syllable. _"All you are… is a **bad guest**. You have shown nothing but disrespect to these mortals who were kind enough to welcome you."_

"And I don't give a DAMN!" Var began running around and splatting the heads off Maddy, Melody, Sheila, Anthony, Chimney, Kodama… "Saying that I'm denying reality?! I'm trapped in my own?! And what about THEM?! They're the ones who don't know jack about the omniverse! Maybe I just want to open their EYES!"

_"This universe never needed to know the greater omniverse. There are many who do not need it. Their concern exists in this universe, and this universe alone. An outsider like yourself, following a meaningless philosophy, should not trouble them. You do not trouble them."_

_"Yeah, so just get out of here, freak."_ Maddy stated, but Var smacked her head off again.

_"We have more important things to worry about."_ Melody followed.

_"Who in blazes is this fish, anyway?"_ Sheila asked heartlessly.

"I'll tell you who I am! I almost destroyed you! I breached the _Noah_! I coulda destroyed all your planets!"

_"No, Varcrutis. You had found a weak point in the First Byway, which was already close to releasing its seal, but beyond that, there was nothing you could have done. The 'damage' you had done to the _Noah_ was merely your reality-bending, but it would have mended itself in time. You could not have hurt the planets due to the spell from the Fairy's Tail. Had the fight been prolonged, Cheren would have won, or his friends would've mustered the strength to keep fighting and thus broken your reality, or perhaps other operatives would have caught wind and come to crush you instead, such as Anthony, Zach, or any number of them. No matter which reality transpired, none of them were yours. You were fated to lose, Var."_

"SHUT UP!" Var smacked Cheren's head off. "I won, you hear me?! I would have won if not for the Phoenios! Your mortals were nothing! I won, I won, I won, I won!"

_"No power you could muster,"_ Cheren grew his head back and spoke, _"compares to the power of our friendship and teamwork. If you don't like that, go back to your own universe and screw up your own reality. We don't want you in ours. Now, get out."_

_"YEH, get out!"_ Sheila punched Var backward.

_"Get lost, freak!"_ Maddy pushed next.

_"Coming all this way just to hurt my friend?!"_ Mocha kicked her.

_"GET OUT, GET OUT, GET OUT, GET OUT!"_ As Var suffered a flurry of shoves and kicks, she found herself backing toward a door of light labeled 'EXIT.' Var clutched the frame of the door, holding tightly as the storm of thousands of kids pounded mercilessly, determined to banish her from the universe. The kids faded and morphed into gushes of water, Kyogre controlling them. (Play "Loneliness" from _Xenoblade 2_.)

_"Accept the reality that you're in, Var. Accept that this universe does not want you. Accept your true role in this-"_

"Stop it."

Var had spoken lowly. She was still bound under Kyogre's power, the tears being shoved into her eyes. "I…I give up. I'll leave. I'll never come back. So, please… stop doing this to me. Just let me go back home… have mercy…"

". . . . . . ." Kyogre bowed his head. In an instant, all of the tears were slurped out of her being. _"I'm sorry…"_ The whale king turned and calmly floated away.

"…" Var remained in place, exhausted from the pain… or so it seemed. In an instant, the illusion shattered—Var flew up and dug her claws into Kyogre's back, the king grunting from the sudden pain. "AS IF I WOULD EVER DO THAT! I don't care if I'm not wanted! I go wherever I want! I HURT whoever I want! And what about the Phoenios, huh?! When are ya gonna give THEM this treatment?! When are THEY gonna be treated like the monsters?! When are they gonna just shut their asses up and let us make friends, too?!"

_"Urgh…Varcrutis…"_

"I don't care about your mortals OR their stupid friendship! I'll show you what good it does for them! I'LL SHOW YOU!" And so, she ripped open a rift and jumped inside. Kyogre merely sighed with pity.

**KND Moonbase**

Cheren had returned to his office with a soda in hand. "HUH?!" He was terribly startled when a rift exploded open and Varcrutis landed in. "YOU AGAIN?!"

"HERE'S WHAT I THINK OF YOUR FRIENDSHIP!" She viciously slashed her claws at the hero, but Cheren's Haki kicked in and worked to dodge it. His movement was like wind, for Var's attacks came predictably in his eyes. "All you brats better accept the reality that I'm better than you! Accept my reality! You will KNEEL before me! You will PERISH!"

As she dove down for a headbutt, Cheren whipped up the Mirror Shield—the sacred shield shattered into a million shards as Cheren seemed to bleed and fall back from the impact.

"Ha…ha ha…HA HA… SEE?! I won! Where's your friendship now?! Who wants to be friends with you?!" Reality sizzled like static. "The Daemonis can make friends too, ya know!" Sizzle. "We deserve it as much as anyone else, maybe even more! So, just-" another sizzle, "accept my reality! Just accept…" sizzle, "accept…"

In an instant, Cheren was standing again, his Mirror Shield in perfect, flawless condition. Var's forehead was swollen from the impact to the unbreakable, holy mirror. "Accept… my… reality… accept… _me_…"

She fell on her back and was out. Her mind had suffered enough, both physically and mentally. Cheren could feel no illusion, no will to fight… She merely lay. The boy released a sigh and stared down at her.

"If that's all you wanted… then you should've asked."

Dimentia and Leic floated near the Moonbase, watching through the window. "…She's down." Plex confirmed. "Shall we… retrieve her then?"

"…Let them take care of her for now." Dimentia replied. "She won't hurt them… not even if she wanted to."


	16. Reopening Old Wounds

**Dimentia's troubles just aren't allowed to end~**

* * *

**_Chapter 16: Reopening Old Wounds_**

**KND Moonbase**

Nebula and Jerome had docked their ship in the Moonbase's hangar. Nebula made her way up to Cheren's office and walked in on him and Varcrutis in the midst of conversation. "Cheren, I need to know if—WHERE DID SHE COME FROM?!"

"So like, why is this place called the 'Gameverse,' anyway?" Var asked lazily, slouched on a beanbag chair and munching some meat. "Are videogames the universal icon?"

"Not really." Cheren replied. "We don't even call it that, but I heard the IDA and other outsiders call us that."

"Huh…that's weird." Var stared at a half-empty bottle, swaying it. "Also, didn't you use to be taller?"

"You used your power to give me an adult body. You left my head puny, though."

"Oh, ya. That was funny."

"CHEREN!" Nebula screeched. "What is she doing here?!"

"Oh, she bumped her head on my Mirror Shield, so I gave her a drink. Thankfully, Yuzu had some Demon Blood and Hinox Meat in reserve."

"I think I need a little more context! !"

"Y'know, of all the gods," Var murmured, "Kyogre has the biggest dick. …I mean, _is_ the biggest dick. …Kingas."

"Just ignore her." Cheren said, walking Nebula outside. "So, what did you wanna talk about?"

Nebula blinked for a bit, but shook off her confusion to get back on track. "We were watching a Galactic Council meeting, and Gruntilda talked about supplying food to the Hunter's Association. I sent Vweeb and some spies to enter her factory and examine the food… and as I expected, Grunty seems to be injecting some type of toxin in the food."

"Of course." Cheren rolled his eyes. "How did she ever get in the Corporate Presidents? On the bright side, Haruka and Kirie are making a medicine for this spirit parasite problem. It'll stop the parasites from taking people's voices."

Nebula accompanied Cheren to the laboratory of the medical wing. Haruka and Kirie were with Maddy Murphy. "Check this out." Haruka presented a small, light-purple pill with whitish, soft lines.

"What will this do?"

"Kirie likes to grow flowers called Silent Princess. Those possess a soft chi that, when cooked in tea, soften your hearing so that loud noises won't bother you. It wears off after a while, but we used those flowers to create this medicine. It morphs the language parasites into a harmless gas that can be exhaled through the mouth. I gave one to that Haru girl, and it was able to destroy the parasites and restore her speech! …Well, there was a silly side-effect. Let's give some to some infected operatives."

Haruka and Kirie brought containers of the pills out to the bridge. "Good news, everyone! We've prepared a medicine that'll eliminate the parasites!"

"Aw, strewth!" Sheila cheered. "I can't wait to finally have me lungs clear again!"

"But there weren't any inside you, Sheila!" Mason laughed.

"Terry, you want some first?" Haruka called.

Terry Stork nodded eagerly, unable to speak. He rushed up and took a pill. He tossed it in his mouth and swallowed. _"So, is it working?"_

The operatives snickered at his rather high-pitched, helium voice.

_"WAT?! What did you do to my voice?! I sound like a freakin' mouse with a bubble throat!"_

"As we speak, the parasites in your throat are morphing into a harmless, helium-like gas. It will tickle your throat when you swallow things, but on the bright side, you'll be perfectly fine." Haruka assured. "The squeak-voice should wear off in about a year."

_"A YEAR?! I have to go a full fucking year with this?! No! Hell to the fuck no!"_

_She's joking!_ Kirie signed. _It should go in at least a week. Maybe a month._

_"That is SERIOUSLY not funny! I'm freaking out enough as it is! Now, can I take this down to my dad or not?!"_

"Yes, you can."

"For now, we need to send the formula around to other KND." Nebula informed. "I don't know what the situation is in Spirit World, but at least we can stop these things."

"I'M DYIIIIING!" Everyone whipped around to find Kokichi Oma writhing on his knees, purple bubbles escaping his mouth. "The parasites have overtaken me! They're boiling my throat! We have to blow up the Moonbase, or else they're gonna destroy the world! !"

"Knock it off." Carol bashed his head with her computer. "He just drank some Bubble Flurp."

"Hmmm…" Nebula formed a light smirk as she stroked her chin. "Cheren, you mind if I borrow Sector $? Maybe they could help with the Grunty situation."

"Gruntilda?" Carol asked. "Sure! Shady businesspeople like her are our specialty!"

"Fine by me. Lemme just send word out to other sectors about the medicine." With that, Cheren proceeded back to his office. "I'll get Melody to send the news out, too, so-"

When he opened the office door, he found that it had been transformed into a circus where Orson Welles and Joss Whedon were riding unicycles and juggling tiny whales. There was jovial carnival music playing. "Y'know who I just remembered? Nergal, Jr., that half-demon kid from Endsville." Var said. "Isn't he Queen Mandy's cousin-in-law now? Is he in the Boogey Pirates or something?"

"…" Cheren calmly shut the door to the office.

**Etheria**

Following the battle, Dimentia and Leic went for a walk in the Whispering Woods. They found a beautiful setting by a river with flowers and butterflies and decided to stop and rest. Leic lay on the flowers; though his spiritual body didn't crush them, he nonetheless enjoyed their softness. Dimentia could only smile at his carefree self, sitting in the flowers as well. "That was pretty careless of me, letting Eggman get this." she said as she studied the small feather in her hand. "But it failed the same way that Var did. I wonder if that's because I'm considered an outsider or because the KND were bound to beat him regardless."

"Nonetheless… you've proven your point quite clearly." Plex said. "So now that it's finally done, I guess it's about time I make amends with Cheren then."

The Zathurian stared at him, sensing some hesitation on his end. "Don't worry so much about it! You'll be just fine."

"But what if he doesn't?"

"Of course he will, why so nervous now? You made friends with Leic just fine."

"W-well, it's just that it feels so different. Like a much bigger hurdle than before." Plex landed quietly in her open hands.

"Hmm, I think I know what you're saying. You're just getting cold feet 'cause you have to take up with someone you've offended first." Dimentia smiled softly as she placed a hand on his head. "Don't I know how that feels, and I almost blew up the universe with everyone in it! Just think of it like jumping in a cold pool, it'll feel absolutely horrible, but you gotta hold on and eventually you'll notice that it wasn't as bad as you expected." She then lifted him up to her eye-level. "If the worse really happens and they hate you, then I'll stick by you. Even so, I can't be the mediator for you all the time, so you need to make the first step. But if you really need that push, then here." Dimentia lightly kissed his forehead.

"Huu!" Plex blushed hard before floating up once more. "Okay, I got it. I'll go meet him now, and I'll bring those booklets as requested. And once I do, I will explain to him the truth. And I will… set a better impression for us."

"Good. I leave the rest to you, Plex."

"Then until later, Dimentia." And so, the chibi bluenette disappeared from her mind.

"Hmmm…" Leic sat up, looking quizzically as he shook his feet. "So, are we all done? Can we rest, yet?"

Dimentia giggled. "Yup. I just hope from here on, we won't have any more trouble from the Daemonis."

"But even if we do, we'll always be ready to kick their butts!"

"You're right on that! But maybe now, they'll leave us alone and let us have good, simple fun. Like this!" Dimentia morphed into a phoenix and shrank to the size of a pigeon.

"Hahahahaha!" Leic happily picked up the pigeon and nuzzled her against his cheek. "I sure wish I could keep you! You'll go great with my friend's pet pterodactyl!"

"It sounds like there's quite a bit I still don't know about you, yet~"

"Haha, then how about I tell you about my own adventures?"

"That sounds like a…?" Dimentia sensed a familiar energy and looked up at the sky: a bright star twinkled and began shooting down.

"Oh, a star! I wonder if it heard my wish?"

"Could it be…?"

Dimentia's suspicions were confirmed when the star burst with light and took the form of Jirachi. However, there appeared to be a black-clothed figure riding him. Dimentia grew back to normal, both she and Leic upright as they readied to "welcome" this visitor. Jirachi landed, and Bayonetta assumed a firm posture. "There you are… Dimentia."

"Dimentia, it's Bayonetta!" Leic yelled. "She's dangerous! But what's she doing here?!"

"…I have no idea." Dimentia whispered, walking forward a bit. "Unless… you suddenly recognize me."

"So, back at the hotel, you knew who I was, didn't you?" the witch asked with a scowl. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I…I don't like bringing up past conflicts. Besides, you had never said anything to me."

"I had no memory, genius. But now I remember. I used to be an operative under your command. However, when I combine that knowledge with what I've learned since then… you were a liar, weren't you? There was no disease, you were only abducting kids to serve your own selfish ambition."

"Uh…Dimentia's not really like that, anymore." Jirachi inferred with concerned eyes. "Didn't you know that?"

"And why should I care about that?! Just because YOU'VE forgiven her, Jirachi, doesn't mean I have! But my memory is still fuzzy about those last moments. I need you to explain to me what happened. When I suddenly woke up from bed, you were being attacked by a monster. Tell me what that monster was!"

Dimentia sighed in shame. She really wasn't hoping or expecting to deal with this all of a sudden. "That was your mom. She came looking for you, but I couldn't risk her finding you. So, I had Jirachi turn her into a monster and-"

That was all Bayo needed to thrust a Demon Fist into her. Dimentia slammed against a tree and fell on her front. Bayonetta rushed up and pounded her with two rapid fists. She then grabbed and bashed Dimentia around the ground, then tossed her up to be munched in a Demon Snake's mouth. The snake spat her on the ground before head-slamming her.

Bayonetta summoned no other creatures as she marched up to Dimentia with a gun drawn. "Not just Mother… but my father was there, too. Because of you… Father disowned me. He stripped me of my memories."

"Your father? That other creature?" Dimentia asked hoarsely, her eyes growing hazy.

"Balder."

"Balder…Balder is your father?! But he died nearly a million years ago."

"I don't really know the details, but regardless, it's true."

"Hmm…you should know that I was responsible for his death back then-"

Bayonetta shot her in the stomach three times. "Hey, stop it!"

Dimentia's hazy vision saw a pair of slender legs under a white robe, their angel wings spreading like a protective shield. "It's okay, Leic… this was bound to happen. Just let her take out her anger."

"Nuh-uh! We came all this way together and we worked really hard! You don't deserve this!"

"Yes I do. Leic, it's okay. I promise I'll warp myself if she tries to deal a fatal blow. But you have no reason to get involved. I'm just an outsider, after all. I'm not someone who should be protected."

"Yeah-huh! !" Leic argued like a stubborn child. "You're still from this universe! And besides, this lady's on our wanted posters, so I still gotta fight her, anyway!"

"Listen, I'm too nice to hurt kids." Bayonetta smirked, gun still aimed. "The lowest I'll go is teenagers. But you can bet I'll sure as hell rock you to sleep if you don't step aside."

"Actually, I was -13 when I died." Leic smiled. "But I was always quite small for my age."

"Just move it, kid. This is a grown-up matter."

"Wanna see a magic trick?" With that, Leic spewed a swarm of butterflies at Bayo, the witch frantically swatting them away. Leic spun and focused energy over Dimentia, quickly morphing her into a butterfly.

When Bayonetta's vision was cleared, a flock of butterflies began to flutter above the air. "Where did she go?!"

"I turned her into a butterfly!" Leic beamed, clutching his sword with a smirk. "And the only way she'll change back is if I go down!"

"You're going to regret not listening to her, kid."

An injured butterfly was tucked cozily under the base of his feathery wings. "That's okay. I'll take my chances." (Play "Power of Jin" from _Xenoblade 2_.)

_Boss fight: Bayonetta_

Bayonetta lashed her swords at the angel, Leic nimbly dodging as he struck the taller opponent in the legs. Leic ducked between the legs and poked her rear, sporting a giggle, while Bayonetta angrily spun and kicked him away. Leic jumped upright, but dodged the Demon Arms that tried to grab him. He slipped his way back to Bayonetta, releasing butterflies from his sleeves as he scampered around her. Two of those flies morphed into Soul Beams and struck her, one became Pale Lightning, and two were Pale Fire. Leic zipped up to pummel Bayonetta with chi-blocks, weakening her bending. He proceeded to dodge her attacks as he slashed the witch. Bayo jumped away and summoned multiple, smaller Demon Arms to massage and fix her chi paths.

Bayonetta opened a glass portal behind her and jumped through, entering "spirit" form. With this, she used Witch Time to more quickly dodge Leic's attacks, and he only had brief windows of time to both dodge and strike her. It seemed that Bayonetta couldn't attack him while in Witch Time, but she switched it on and off repeatedly. He struggled to land a hit, while Leic himself suffered cuts. He couldn't even escape Bayonetta as she used Witch Time to pursue him. Leic decided to unleash a swarm of butterflies from his robe, completely shrouding himself. Bayonetta leapt and cut straight through—some butterflies burst into Pale Lightning and electrified her, while Leic seemed to remain hidden. Was he able to transform, too? She slowed time and tried to search for any distinct butterflies, but when her arm bumped one, it changed and burned her with fire, plus time resumed normal flow.

"So, not only can you not damage me in your Witch Time, but if you touch any living thing, you come out of it!" Leic proclaimed, revealing himself.

"These aren't even real butterflies, how… Never mind. That may be true, but I can still do this!" Bayonetta shot her gun and slowed time. She controlled the bullet's trajectory as Leic tried to dodge, but the young angel was grazed in the leg. He slumped, and Bayo rushed to strike, but some Steelflies latched around Leic to shield him. Bayo also found her shoes stuck to the ground by sticky butterfly remains, then Leic opened his palm to shoot Pale Fire. Bayo escaped and started shooting rapid bullets, but as Leic evaded, she noticed flies fluttering around her. They changed into attacks as she predicted, so Bayo dodged them, then she shot another Witch Time bullet. However, a butterfly had landed on her rear and was brought into Witch Time as well. It exploded into a Thrust, pushing her forward as her power disabled.

Leic could dodge the bullet thanks to this and ran to slash Bayo's stomach, followed by nimble chi-blocks on her legs and back. Bayo maneuvered away and used small Demon Arms to massage herself. She evaded Leic's butterfly attacks, until one of them became a small mass of purple energy that struck Bayo, quickly enveloping her in flames. Bayonetta dispersed the flames and willed eight Demon Arms to emerge and surround Leic, ready to grab him if he tried to fly out. Leic dodged their punches and stayed in the center, channeling power to his sword. "Slicing Flower Ring!" When he spun, he slashed a flower-shaped circle that expanded out and sliced all the arms.

However, Bayonetta got behind and shot darkness on his wings, preventing him from flying. The witch grew wings and flew herself, thrusting Demon Heels at Leic. Using Thief Style, Leic leapt and balanced on a heel, so when it retracted, he leapt onto the next one, repeating the steps until the last heel brought him to Bayonetta. He leapt to grab her leg and climb to her head, sticking his sword in her ear to make butterflies crawl through. Bayo grabbed and hurdled Leic off, bonking the flies out of her. A group of flies had amassed under Leic's feet, propping him in the air. They flew to wherever he stepped as he chased Bayonetta, the witch shooting bullets as she flew backward.

Some butterflies formed slippery slopes and ramps for Leic to slide down and launch, catching up to Bayo for quick attacks. Bayonetta bombarded one of those ramps with bullets, but they became lightning attacks that tried to zap her. "Madama Butterfly, we must not let these lesser insects do us in!" The spirit of her Zanpakutō attained form and flew to kick Leic, blasting him back, but a wall of his own flies stopped him with a soft impact. The butterflies enveloped and wrapped him in a cocoon, afterwards carrying him away. Bayonetta attempted to slice the cocoon, but the flies were quick to evade while some exploded into Thrusts and kept her at bay.

"How about THIS?!" Bayonetta shot another bullet and controlled it from Witch Time. She maneuvered it around the butterflies and was a "second" from puncturing the cocoon, but one of the flies used a Thrust to blow the bullet off course. Bayo gasped and struggled to regain control, having to make a tight swerve around to get back to the cocoon. Unfortunately, by the time it arrived, the cocoon had already ruptured on its own, and the bullet slipped off the target. Leic had assumed his Butter-Hybrid form. The angel zoomed behind Madama and struck the spirit. Bayonetta caught him in two Demon Fists—he slipped out easily.

Leic sliced those fists and butter-fied their chi, and as Bayonetta tried to pummel him with fists from every direction, he diced them all into flies. Madama flew behind and was able to grab the boy, so Bayo flew to stab him. Leic kicked Madama off with both legs and evaded the stabs, clashing against Bayonetta's swords and spreading butter along them. "You can't transform Madama Butterfly, you fool! She already IS one! Your technique is…ah ha ha ha. Hahahahahaha! M-My chest feels funny! It f-feels like I breathed laughing gas!"

"Your butterfly just hasn't enough butter, silly!" Leic laughed. "So, I decided to give her some!"

"Y-You little brat! Just because you covered my sword in butter, it shouldn't be making me laugh like this!"

"Silly goose! Don't you know butterflies are supposed to make your soul laugh? Don't they make you happy?"

"Hahahaha…Madama Butterfly…no!"

"Ha ha ha ha…sorry, Bayonetta… I…" The dark wings of the spirit had turned bright and rainbowy, and the moon designs became smiling suns. Her black texture had become white and her red eyes blue.

"Y-You… cursed brat!" The veins on Bayo's face creased as she struggled to show her anger, but her mouth was stitched into a smile. "That bitch tricked me into killing my own mother… and you expect me to laugh it off?! What the hell are YOU doing with her, anyway?! Why are you so buddy with her?! I don't care if the rest of the universe forgave her, because as far as I'm concerned, she never received justice!"

"I know she talked about making a lot of mistakes in the past, but she never seemed like a bad person."

"Then you're just ignorant, aren't you? She never did you any wrong in the past, so you've developed a bias for her, haven't you?"

"I guess you're right, but… I just don't like seeing her get beat up!"

"Then why don't you just fly far away, so you won't have to see or listen to the beating, brat?"

"Fine… but can you really look at this cute little thing and tell me you wanna hurt it?"

Bayonetta cocked a brow as Leic seemed to reach under his wing and retrieve a butterfly with pink wings. She flew closer to observe it. The butterfly appeared to be injured, but its beady, mismatched eyes possessed the tiniest twinkle of life. Its antennas twitched in an adorable fashion. The creature looked so harmless and peaceful in Leic's gentle hands. The sight of such a precious creature in such pain would tug at any soul's heartstrings and make them wish with all prayer that the butterfly would make a full recovery-

A flock of flies amassed above Bayonetta and morphed back into one of her Demon Fists, punching their own creator toward the ground. More flocks were already in position, punching her to the next and so on, until she slammed against the ground. Leic dove at her with a drill attack and exploded out butter upon collision, binding Bayonetta to the ground. "I didn't think you would, but just in case!" Leic beamed, his skin morphing back to normal. (End song.)

"You…you wretched insect!"

"What's going on over here, anyway?" a voice called. The group looked to see a muscular, purple-skinned woman come out of the woods. "Hmm…I kept hearing a lot of noise. Wait… who are you?"

Both Leic and Bayo were invisible to her eyes, but she acknowledged Jirachi's presence. "Oh, hello." He greeted. "Uh…nothing's happening over here! Heheh…"

"That voice… JIRACHI?!"

Bayonetta gasped: she made another glass portal and entered the Mortal World. "Huntara?!"

The woman gasped and stumbled back. "W-Where did you come…" She narrowed her eyes. "Cereza?"

"Huntara…" Bayo got up and rushed up to the Etherian. "Why… it's been ages. You've gotten so big."

"I could say the same about you." Huntara cocked a brow. "You always were tall for a human, but… Man, what happened to you? One day, we were told you were kidnapped by Irkens or somethin' and you were killed."

"Oh, is that what she told you?" Bayo sighed. "It's a long story, Huntara. In fact, I was in the middle of giving her a piece of my mind."

"Do you mean…?" Just as she spoke, Leic morphed Dimentia back to normal, the woman collapsing on the ground. "It really was you… Dimentia."

"Hi, Huntara." She looked up with a weak smile. "How've you been? I didn't see you after I… died the first time."

"Well… after that happened, I wished for Jirachi to warp me to wherever Etheria had ended up. He also allowed me to start aging normally again. A lot of crazy things happened after I got back. I teamed up with the local KND, and we got the planet out of its sub-dimension or something… After that, I tried to catch up on intergalactic events. It took a long while, but then I heard, like… you apparently died a SECOND time?"

"Yeah… I'm basically a spirit warrior now."

"A spirit warrior?" Bayo asked. "I don't recall ever seeing you with the Angels."

"It's kind of complicated. Look, girls, I…I'm sorry for everything I did to you. I've done a lot of bad things to a lot of people. But you can rest well knowing I'm dead, and… well, you won't really be seeing a lot of me after this. I'm technically breaking the law just by talking to you…"

"Hm…I don't even feel like it, anymore." Bayo huffed, turning away from them.

"Do you forgive her?" Leic asked.

"No, of course not. It just feels like being mad at her isn't interesting, anymore. It makes me feel outdated. But it is good to see you again, Huntara."

"Yeah… you, too." Huntara was still trying to process this sudden and bizarre reunion. "Everything been going okay?"

"That remains to be decided, doesn't it? I wonder… just what am I, in the end? Am I still a KND at heart or did I grow up and become a true Umbra Witch? I spent so long trying to get my past back, but now that I have it, I haven't decided my future."

"I'm sure you'll figure it out." Dimentia sighed, the pain fading away as her spiritual body healed. "Still, I shouldn't be here to corrupt your future any more than I already have. Leic, take us up to Spirit World."

"Hm…okay." Leic held the woman and Ascended them in a ray of light.

Huntara watched her leave with slight remorse. "Well… you feel like staying here a while? We can catch up. Honestly, it feels like you and me went through similar experiences."

"…Yes, I'd like that." Bayo smiled.

**Ghost Zone**

Snake was carrying Emily on his shoulders as he trudged out of the Labyrinth of Deceit. The two were bruised and dirtied from falling for every trap they came across. Alucard stood looming over the entrance stairs. "You've made it out… unless you are an illusion deceiving me?"

"And how do we know you ain't one?" Snake asked.

"Because the real impostor is over there."

Alucard gestured to his parallel self, torn asunder and left battered on the ground.

The dhampir recapped the events that had transpired, with Sandman having fallen under Skull Face's control and Joker having followed them. "He contacted me a short while ago. Gohda has betrayed us, and Skull Face has succeeded in opening the tower."

"Dammit… I knew there was something suspicious about him!" Snake punched a column.

"So, he was really just being controlled by Skull Face?" Emily asked. "I…I don't believe it."

"Was he truly a puppet, and we the puppet's puppets?" Alucard asked. "I would like to know myself. Regardless, the fate we dreaded has come. We must finish what we set off to do and thwart Skull Face."

"I agree." Emily replied. "We can't give up now. With both the KND and the Angels, we're bound to win!"

"Nyeh…then let's get going." Snake pulled out a cigar and lit it. "But mark my words, I ain't lettin' Sandman off the hook. I'll punch him all the way to the next afterlife."

_"Yoohooooooo! Need a lift?"_

A shiny red convertible began zooming up the acropolis. It swerved and screeched to a halt, and it seemed Maria Renard was the driver. "Excellent timing, Maria." Alucard said. "Let's be off posthaste. Our good friend, Maria 2 is in danger."

"There are millions of Marias in the universe, and that particular one is 'Maria 2'?" Emily asked.

"The Number One title was already claimed!" Renard beamed.

"By who?"

**Mushroom World**

"Maria Number One!" Hat Kid cheered after grabbing the Goal Flag. "Yippeeeeeee!"

**Tower of Babel**

Ash Landers lay in defeat before Claude Faustus. Similar fates had befallen Ciel, Sherbet, and many other Divine Angels. All those fallen were brought before Ibara. "Ten meters, five minutes."

After the Angels were petrified, Valentine pulled them close together. From the small space between them, he extracted copies of the Angels. "As our foes fall, more are added to our numbers. When too many parallels of the same person are active in one universe, their individual strength is weakened, except for the original itself. However, if the original were incapacitated, then the parallels will be able to draw more power in their place. We will replace all the Divine Angels with our own! We will become the new authority of the Spirit World!"

The villains were watched from an upper layer of the tower by two figures. One was a girl with crimson hair tied in a ponytail, with matching eyes behind her sharp black mask, going great with her strapless black leotard and thigh-length hose with stiletto-heels. The other was a brown-haired boy in a princely pure-white regalia with red accents, and a red, long-nosed mask. "So, they've created copies of the Angels." the boy observed. "This certainly makes things problematic."

The girl touched her earpiece and said, "Queen, this is Violet. Several of the Angels have been petrified. And worse…"

_"He's making copies of the Angels to use against us, huh?"_ Makoto responded.

"However, we noticed that Ibara has some sort of potion that nullifies the petrification." Crow followed. "Perhaps if we can seize that, we can restore the Angels and wane the copies' abilities. Should we prioritize that or the Voices?"

_"Seizing the Voices will be too difficult by yourselves. Try to focus on the potion for now, but be careful."_

"You can count on us." Violet affirmed. "Crow… let's go."

_Phantom Thieves Backup Brigade_

_CROW and VIOLET_


	17. Familial Problems

As Cheren stood there, disarmed and outmatched, the plan formed in his head. How to deal with Chrysaor's crew? Cheren put the pieces together: the pirates had been turned into orca-men millennia ago when they had kidnapped the wrong person. Cheren knew that story. Heck, the wrong person in question had threatened to turn him into an orca. And when Chrysaor said the crew wasn't afraid of anything, one of the orcas had nervously corrected him. Yes, Chrysaor said. But he's not here.

Cheren glanced toward the stern and spotted Var, in human form, peeking out from behind a ballista, waiting. Cheren resisted the urge to smile. It was a crazy idea. But, as usual, that's all Cheren had.

"Fine!" Cheren shouted, so loudly that he got everyone's attention. "Take us away, if our captain will let you."

Chrysaor turned his golden mask. "What captain? My men searched the ship. There is no one else."

Cheren raised his hands dramatically. "The god appears only when he wishes. But he is our leader. He runs our camp for demigods. Doesn't he, Nebula?"

Nebula was quick. "Yes!" She nodded enthusiastically. "Mr. D! The great Dionysus!"

A ripple of uneasiness passed through the orca-men. One dropped his sword. "Stand fast!" Chrysaor bellowed. "There is no god on this ship. They are trying to scare you."

"You should be scared!" Cheren looked at the pirate crew with sympathy. "Dionysus will be severely cranky with you for having delayed our voyage. He will punish all of us. Didn't you notice the girls falling into the wine god's madness?"

Panini and Aurora had stopped the shaking fits. They were sitting on the deck, staring at Cheren, but when he glared at them pointedly, they started hamming it up again, trembling and flopping around like fish. The orca-men fell over themselves, trying to get away from their captives.

"Fakes!" Chrysaor roared. "Shut up, Cheren Uno. Your camp director is not here. He was recalled to Olympus. This is common knowledge."

"So, you admit Dionysus is our director!" Cheren said.

"He was," Chrysaor corrected. "Everyone knows that."

Cheren gestured at the golden warrior like he'd just betrayed himself. "You see? We are doomed. If you don't believe me, let's check the ice chest!"

Cheren stormed over to the magical cooler. No one tried to stop him. He knocked open the lid and rummaged through the ice. There had to be one. Please. He was rewarded with a silver-and-red can of soda. He brandished it at the orca warriors as if spraying them with bug repellent.

"Behold!" Cheren shouted. "The god's chosen beverage. Tremble before the horror of Diet Coke!"

The orca-men began to panic. They were on the edge of retreat. Cheren could feel it. "The god will take your ship," Cheren warned. "He will finish your transformation into orcas, or make you insane, or transform you into insane orcas! Your only hope is to swim away now, quickly!"

"Ridiculous!" Chrysaor's voice turned shrill. He didn't seem sure where to level his sword—at Cheren or his own crew.

"Save yourselves!" Cheren warned. "It is too late for us!"

Then he gasped and pointed to the spot where Var was hiding. "Oh, no! Var is turning into a crazy orca!"

Nothing happened.

"I said," Cheren repeated, "Var is turning into a crazy orca!"

Var stumbled out of nowhere, making a big show of grabbing her throat. "Oh, no," she said, as if reading from a teleprompter. "I am turning into a crazy orca." She began to change, her nose elongating into a snout, her skin becoming sleek and monochrome. She fell to the deck as an orca, her tail thumping against the boards.

The pirate crew disbanded in terror, chattering and clicking as they dropped their weapons, forgot the captives, ignored Chrysaor's orders, and jumped overboard. In the confusion, Nebula moved quickly to cut the bonds on Panini, Aurora, and Francis.

"Cut!" Kokichi clacked the cut board, the liar kicked back in a director's chair. "That's a scene, people! But let's shoot it again from 20 more angles!"

"Kokichi!" Carol bashed his head. "What are you doing?! We need to get going!"

"I direct movies to get myself geared up for a mission! Don't judge me!"

"And I thought ripping off _Percy Jackson_ word-for-word was an outdated fanfiction plot-line." Ciel remarked.

* * *

**_Chapter 17: Familial Problems_**

**Underworld**

Team Sandman had exited the Ghost Zone as Renard's convertible was speeding full throttle toward the Spirit World. As Renard conjured a road of energy leading up above the castle, driving the car along it, Alucard caught a familiar whiff. "Oh, dear…"

"Is something wrong?" Emily asked.

"That scent… it smells like my father. And it smells like it's coming from the front gates."

"Is Dracula trying to capture Nolan's mother again?!" Snake asked.

"I fear so. You three should run ahead. I will set my father straight."

"Okay, we'll leave you to it." Emily replied. "Just hurry back to us soon. We need all the help we can get."

"You have my word. Neither my father nor his associates will have their way." Alucard leapt off the car on that note, spreading his coat as he flew down to the front of the castle.

A hundred Phantom Guards were piled near the gates, their armor clawed and broken. Dracula stood atop them, observing the castle. "These guards were remarkably incompetent." He boasted with a smirk. "Had they just remained behind the gates, I couldn't have defeated them. Alas, their sense of 'justice' compelled them to apprehend me. Isn't it a pity, son?"

He turned to Alucard at the base of the pile. "You're not giving them much incentive to invite you in, Father."

"I vill never understand why King Darkrai designed us vith such a weakness. Regardless, I have sent my soldiers inside to seize my dear Kyla. Our love is not fallen, yet!"

"You feel no love for that woman, Father! All that you love is revenge, plain and simple. You only love to see your foe enraged and despaired, that is the only reason you pine for Kyla. At least with your past suitors, there was some manner of affection."

"Far more affection than you. You were so ashamed of your existence that you chose not to bear children. Turning down Renard's advances over and over again, until she utterly chose to give up and find another."

"Maria was a pure soul who did not deserve to be tainted by mine."

"Such a pity to be you, Alucard. You never learned to love yourself and thus know nothing about romance."

"The only 'romance' I need is assisting the humans I've come to call my comrades. I choose their ideals over yours any day. So, let us resume what has been constant these past hundreds of years!" Alucard balled his fists, which began shimmering like diamond.

"So be it." Dracula leapt off the pile, displaying his own diamond fists. "Prove to me my love is meaningless. Prove that your 'loyalty' is stronger." (Play "Dracula's Castle" from _Smash Ultimate_!)

_Boss fight: Dracula_

With both their fists glittering like diamonds, Dracula and Alucard engaged in fisticuffs. Dracula ducked his fist under Alucard's and punched his jaw, followed by a kick to the stomach. Dracula leapt to grab his son's head and attempted to twist it off, but Alucard became gas to escape his clutch. Dracula scratched at him, but Alucard gassed again to slip behind him, grabbing Dracula's neck and slamming him against the ground. Dracula grabbed his sword and slashed Alucard's arms, escaping his grip. Alucard drew his own and clashed with his father once more, but the son was suddenly attacked by one of the Phantom Guards. Some gathered in the pile began to rise as vampires, gnashing their fangs at Alucard. The dhampir stabbed up one's throat, grabbed and threw one into another, then threw one against Dracula.

Dracula leapt far away and conjured 15 Darkballs to rapidly rotate around himself, preventing Alucard from getting close. Alucard seized one of the Phantoms and ripped it out of its armor, donning it himself. With this, he charged toward his father, enduring the Darkballs as the armor steadily cracked from their force. When Alucard arrived, Dracula slashed apart the armor, but Alucard grabbed and bound his sword arm before stabbing his own into Dracula's waist. Dracula kicked Alucard's right knee, then Diamond Punched his nose to thrust him off. Dracula split into a swarm of bats and flapped around Alucard, nipping at every corner. Alucard became gas to scare the bats away.

After Dracula reformed, the lord ripped out one of his fangs, which extended like a scythe. He attached it to a long staff and twirled the scythe before slashing against his son. Alucard's sword did little to combat it, so he withdrew the Alucard Shield. The shield proved sturdy in blocking the scythe from any angle, but when the scythe suddenly swung around the shield, Alucard leapt back. His shield yanked the scythe out of Dracula's grip, then Alucard seized it himself. Dracula grabbed his sword to clash with the scythe, but the larger weapon disarmed him. Alucard slashed Dracula with the scythe of his own fang, until Dracula grabbed the weapon and squeezed the blade in his own hands, shattering it.

Alucard broke the staff and clashed with his own sword, Dracula countering with diamond knuckles. He punched against the Alucard Shield, then flipped to kick Alucard from the side. Dracula willed a Dark Spire to erupt from beneath Alucard, propelling him into the air, but the hybrid became a bat to stay airborne. Dracula erupted more Dark Spires, Alucard evading them around the air, until he suddenly reverted to normal and pressed his shield against one of the spires. The darkness spurted around like splashing water as Alucard slammed onto his father, followed by a stab to the stomach. Dracula kicked a leg up to banish Alucard off him, then flipped up, conjured a large Darkball, and blew Alucard away.

Dracula rasped loudly as his eyes became slit and red, his fangs grew wider, and he ripped out of his clothes, morphing into a giant, green bat demon with horns. Dracula bellowed a sonic wave to blast Alucard down, then spat fireballs at the hybrid. Alucard recovered, dodging the flames as he rushed toward his father. He raised his shield to block another soundwave, but Dracula performed a leap and slammed a shockwave to knock Alucard down. Dracula grabbed and slammed him around the ground, followed by a constant breath of fire. Alucard became gas to escape, then quickly ran as he rolled to douse the flames.

Dracula performed another shockwave, but Alucard leapt onto the demon's arm and ran up to slash the eyes. Dracula swung the arm to shake him off, but Alucard flipped off to slash the wing under the arm. Dracula conjured dozens of Darkballs and threw them at Alucard from random directions. The dhampir used his shield to bonk some of them toward Dracula, but the demon suddenly rushed up and swat the shield away. Dracula snatched his son up and bellowed a deafening sonic wave, but Alucard thrusted his sword up Dracula's throat, stabbing through the roof. Alucard bent down and sank his teeth into Dracula's arm, tearing off the skin as he was freed. Dracula yanked the sword out and chucked it away, attempting to grab Alucard again.

"Oh, Dracula~! I have the fair Lady Kyla!" called the familiar voice of Harry the Werewolf.

"At last!" Dracula whipped around, grinning viciously. "Hand my bride over at—WHAT?!"

"You're so fluffy and soft, Harry!" The brown-haired woman was relaxing in Harry's arms, hugging and brushing her head against his neck. "I've always loved guys with a beard, but this is the best!"

"Oh ho ho ho, stop~" Harry smiled boastfully. "I've already had the fortune of being treated to Royal Family Candy, I deserve nothing more from such a sweet, young woman~"

"HARRY!" Dracula hissed. "Vhat are you DOING?! Vhy are you holding my wife in such a manner?!"

"Pardon me, Count, but there's been a small change in plans. I was just about to gladly bring your former betrothed as requested, but as I learned, Mrs. York seems to find hairy men highly attractive. Before I knew it, she was all over me. She even treated me to some of her guestroom candies! How could I say 'no' to such generosity?"

"BAAAH! Cease vhat you're doing and bring her to me! Ve'll see who she loves after I turn her into a vampire!"

"You do not terrify me, Dracula! I have never known such affection in all my life! Furthermore, I learned quite the interesting bit of trivia."

"And vhat vould that be?"

"Vampires don't enjoy werewolf bites!" Harry set Kyla down and grew in size, assuming his Primal Fury as his fur became spiky.

"I knew it!" Kyla beamed. "Werewolves are WAY bigger and stronger than vampires! Tear him to pieces, Hair Bear!"

"Hah! Did you hear that, Dracy? She calls me Hair Bear!"

"HARRYYYYY!" Dracula bore his fangs with a deadly sharpness and lunged forward. Harry's teeth flashed, and he lunged as well. Both fearsome beasts were bound for collision, and then… their teeth sank into each other's neck. (End song.)

". . . . . ." Some believed that a werewolf could corrupt and turn a vampire, and that a vampire could do the same to a werewolf. Naturally, the Head Vampire or the Head Werewolf would be the master. So, what would happen if a werewolf and vampire bit each other at the same time? This question weighed on everyone's minds since the days of _Twilight_.

…

…

Dracula and Harry found their selves adrift in a sea of white. "Um…Dracula? Where are we?"

"I…I don't know. Vhat did you do?!"

"It wasn't me! You attacked me first!"

"You stole my betrothed!"

"You didn't even like her! You just wanted to get back at that Nolan chap!"

"You only love her because she fed your fat arse candy!"

"How dare you! I'm very sensitive about my arse!"

"THEN DON'T EAT CANDY! GAAAAH!" The Vampire Lord growled in frustration.

…

Alucard had become frozen with shock and confusion. His jaw was hanging. "…I… had not expected that."

"Me neither." Kyla replied awkwardly. "I was just going to trick them into fighting each other… I didn't expect reality to tear open."

"…Sigh, at any rate, I hope you were not hurt too badly." Alucard stood and went to retrieve his sword and shield. "My father has caused you a great deal of strife."

"It's nothing that I'm not used to." Kyla smiled modestly. "It's a small price to pay for having a superhero son."

"Yes, you had remarked before that Nolan has made quite the handful of enemies. Pardon my intrusion, but… would you have wished for a different path?"

"Oh, how could you ask such a thing? …Yes, at one point." The mother sighed. "Honestly, why do so many parents allow their children to join the Kids Next Door? Even if some of them were former operatives, there are others that are just completely oblivious. …But what's the point of questioning it, anymore? Millions of kids from across the universe are doing it, and millions of parents feel the same way. At this point, it's basically law. Children are just born to be remarkable and powerful. They're fated to change the world. And Nolan was simply bound to become such a legend that so many criminals would be after his head. Even if I did want to wish for a more pleasant fate… it's too late for that. No better fate for Nolan could have led to better results."

"He was a blessed man… unlike me."

"Hm hm hm! You sound like you don't have the greatest self-confidence. No wonder my son took a liking to you."

"He was in need of my aid to rescue you, and I decided myself to aid with his greater mission. It wasn't a matter of…"

"Learn to smile a bit, Alucard. Your scowl just looks so terrifying~. Any lady might get frightened and slap you~" Kyla spoke with a playful tone.

"…" Alucard felt like he would blush if he could. "You know, you are a very charming woman. Yet, I fear that my father did not care for that charm at all."

"Well, I didn't care for his much, either. Don't get any wrong ideas, though, my husband is dead, too. All the same, you ought to find yourself a nice girl."

"I shall… take those words to heart." Alucard cracked a smile. "But if you'll excuse me, I have comrades to aid." He became a bat and took flight to the Spirit World.

"Ah, there's a smile~"

**Tower of Babel**

The orbs of the Lost Voices had all developed bodies thanks to One That Covers. The Lingering Regrets possessed an orange robe with wide, sad eyes. The Lost Time resembled an old, impish grandfather clock with a clock hand mustache. The Unwanted Feelings was a purple, severed heart with devil horns and black eyes. The Stolen Truth was a green, wicked, wide-grinned ghoul with a crescent-curved head, narrow orange eyes, and thin, smirking teeth.

"The Tearsians, the Tockians, the Devil Hearts, and the Lieaters." Skull Face spoke, pacing slowly around the Voices and the half-petrified Meloetta. "These are the four races that surrendered their languages, and with them, their identities."

"These four tribes were ashamed of their identities!" Meloetta argued. "They were ashamed of their dark traditions. The Devil Hearts used to pray on romantic couples, the Lieaters used to hunt and kill liars… they wanted to change, so they surrendered their languages to me so they could reinvent their selves. But even so, the original tribes have long gone and evolved. They wouldn't want their dark traditions to return!"

"The Voices speak differently. These spirits, these figments of the past feel betrayed by their brethren and wish to be known by the cosmos again. I will grant their wish just as I will the others. Now, my children! Let us mix with the lingua francas! Let us corrupt them as they corrupted us!"

The spirits of countless voices flew about the tower, controlled by the parasites as they mixed with the primary voices. "There are still many who are not infected by the parasites. We must spread them around and ensure everyone speaks the forgotten languages!"

"Stop!" Meloetta screamed. "The tower isn't meant to be used like this! Mortals can't just be forced to know other languages, not without learning them. Their voices have to adapt with languages naturally, but if you do this, their vocals will be overwhelmed. Some people could even die from this!"

"Then those people are far from saving!"

In another passage, Crow and Violet were creeping along the stone rafters, quietly following Ibara from above. The Historian was twirling Dr. Stone by his nails, accompanied by two Arrancar. "This place is remarkably noisy. To think Skull Face plans to turn the whole universe into this. Well, so long as my culture is among them, so be it. Say, how do you boys feel about-"

"Steal for the poor, Robin Hood!" Crow drew a golden bow with an angel wing design and launched it down at Ibara.

"AAAACK!" The man cried from the sudden attack, but it seemed to do no damage. As he turned in confusion, Violet suddenly dropped down, stylishly kicking the Arrancar, landing on her hands and flipping to her feet. Violet clacked her heels together: glass slippers appeared on the Arrancars' feet, and they grew smaller and tighter as the spirits yelled out in pain, falling over.

"A KND operative?! How dare you shoot me!" Ibara yelled, casting Soul Beams. Violet evaded them with swift gymnastics, stamping Ibara's stomach as he thrusted backward. She then clacked her heels and made glass slippers appear on him as well, crushing his feet as he fell. "What atrocious footwear is this?!"

"My Zanpakutō is Cendrillon. There are very few who can fit Cinderella's slippers at their smallest."

"So, you can turn shoes into glass? Big deal!" Ibara slammed the slippers against the ground to shatter them, jumping upright and defending from Violet's kick attacks. "Target: shoes! Ten meters, one second!" An explosion of light petrified Violet's shoes, causing her to tumble over in the rugged, heavy high-heels. She decided to abandon them, evading Ibara's Pale Fire and gracefully running along the wall in her hose. She leapt to the opposite wall, then returned to kick Ibara across the face. Glass heels appeared again, and Violet clacked her socked heels together to achieve the same effect.

"Target: leotard. Ten meters, one second!" The next burst of light caused Violet's leotard to become stone, weighing down her body.

"Darn it! I can't fight like this." Violet ran from Ibara and turned down a corridor.

Crow had snuck his way out of that passage, but would watch from the rafters as Violet was running. Ibara chased her into this hall as well. "Target: human. Ten meters, two seconds!" He tossed Dr. Stone toward her, but Crow suddenly dropped down, grabbed Violet, and grappled back up to the ceiling, evading the explosion. "Another one?!"

"Let's test this out." Crow poured the Miracle Fluid onto Violet's leotard, de-petrifying it.

"My formula?!" Ibara cried, searching his person. "No! When did you steal it from me?!"

"Robin Hood steals whatever he shoots with his arrow." Crow declared. "I'm sure the Angels would love this formula." The two dropped to the ground and ran around a corner.

An Angel suddenly landed in their way and slashed a soap-covered blade, causing them to drop their Zanpakutō and the formula due to the squeaky cleanliness. "How dare you filthy thieves set foot in this sacred tower!" Ash Landers snarled. "You will not disrupt President Valentine or his accomplices!"

"It sounds like you're clearly under their thumb." Violet said. "And you call yourself a servant of Arceus."

Crow grabbed a gun and shot at Ash, who positioned his sword to block them. Rather than bounce off, the bullets merely slipped around the sword to strike him, so Ash evaded the weapon. The Angel slid around them with soapy shoes and sprayed soap around the surrounding ground, causing the thieves to slip and fall. Crow used spirit flames to burn the surrounding area and dirtify the ground, striking their dropped weapons as well. The duo reclaimed the bow and sword as Crow shot an arrow at Ash. It punctured the pockets as Crow seized three photos by accident. "…What are these pictures of an angel boy?"

"KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF THEM!" Ash lunged over and exploded with soap, the thieves leaping apart in evasion. Ash became Angela, who latched a Soul Rope to Violet's ankle and pulled to make her hit her head against the ground. Violet cut the rope, recovered, and leapt to kick Angela, but her foot slipped off her head. Angela slashed at her back, but Violet quickly conjured an energy ball to intercept the blade, releasing a pulse to blast Angela back.

"Hold them still, Mr. Landers." Ibara ordered, grinning wickedly as he approached with Dr. Stone ready. "I'll petrify these bandits once and for all!"

"My name is Angela in this form." The Angel launched Soul Ropes from either hand to wrap Crow and Violet's arms against their legs.

"Whatever! Ten meters, two s-"

"Not this time!" A dark-clothed figure swooped down and stamped Ibara in his big nose, scrunching it disgustingly as he reeled back.

"Joker!" Crow exclaimed.

"Senpai!" Violet beamed.

"You insolent thief!" Ibara shouted, bending his nose back to normal.

"That's for what you scum did to Sandman." Joker stated. "Now, if you don't mind, I'll be taking that device off you."

**Ghost Zone**

Ocelot rapidly positioned his guns in a way that blocked Kid's shots. Kid shot bullets to ricochet around and hit Ocelot from behind, but umbrella guns flew to intercept the attack. "Very well, try to predict this trajectory!" Kid shot two bullets to bounce sporadically around Ocelot's. Patty and Lizzy rode those bullets and kicked against Ocelot's bullets in the intended direction. Lizzy was able to ram her bullet into Ocelot's waist while Patty struck Ocelot's right wrist, causing him to drop one of his revolvers.

Ocelot unveiled a minigun from under his coat. "Cyclone Revolver!" The bullets flew out with the speed and shape of a black cyclone. Kid flew from the cyclone and tried to shoot him, but Ocelot deflected the bullets with the umbrella gun. Kid formed an energy bubble and dove against the cyclone, quickly deactivating it before it could shatter and maintaining position within the inside. Ocelot swung the cyclone around, but Kid remained in the center, but some of the bullets grazed him. Kid combined his pistols and fired a single bullet that Patty and Lizzy rode. Patty kicked the bullet toward one of the barrels as it was spinning by, then Lizzy kicked an incoming bullet back into it. The bullet struck and clogged the interior, causing that barrel to explode.

"BLAST!" Ocelot yelled, dropping the gun. Kid immediately shot up to kick it away, landing a shot to Ocelot's stomach before the war veteran could escape. "Let's see how you handle this: my Patriotic Armada!" As Ocelot flew backward, a small fleet of giant, gun-shaped ships with American flags on them emerged.

"Alright, girls, I'm taking the wheel this time!" Kid miniaturized himself to fit in his combined gun. The gun fired, and Kid rode the front of the bullet, with Patty and Lizzy on his back.

"Nice of you to hop along with us, Your Royal Highness~" Patty sang, hugging his chest.

The bullet flew full speed through the fleet, easily evading the giant lasers. The lasers tried to shoot in the way forward, so they steered the bullet down, up, then right and left. Ocelot had retreated behind a ship, so they steered tight to the right, but a ship flew on that side to shield Ocelot, and two were moving on the top and bottom. The bullet flew all the way behind the ships, dodging the lasers, and once behind, Lizzy kicked the bullet to fly to the back opening. Ocelot saw them coming, so he willed some guns to form a barrier. They steered the bullet into the tightest opening in the down-left. Once Ocelot was within sight, Patty kicked the bullet directly up to his face. Ocelot had the perfect, up-close view as Mini Kid kicked the bullet into his left wrist.

"AAAAHH!" With both revolvers dropped, Ocelot's control over the guns and ships ceased, and they began to float in the space. Kid grew to normal and bombarded Ocelot's stomach with bullets. "Ahh…not bad, Kid… Your gunwork is almost as impressive as his…"

"You're going to Underworld Prison for a long time, buddy."

"So be it. I did my part in crushing the corrupt governments of this universe. You should be thankful the parasites aren't as bad as they could've been! By the time this is over, the universe will be begging for a man like Valentine!"

**Mortal World**

Citizens all over the universe were screaming as their throats shone with a weird light. "Ahhh!" Maddy Murphy grabbed her throbbing throat. "(W-what's happening… and why am I… speaking this weird language?! Is this because of the…)"

"AAAAAAAHHH!" The blood-hurdling screams of her parents drew Maddy's attention. Gwen's throat seemed inflate like a balloon with too much helium. But this analogy became far more horrific a second later: Gwen's throat exploded, blood flooding the kitchen floor. Maddy fell utterly pale, unable to speak. An explosion of Conqueror's Haki erupted from her form, enveloping the entire town and knocking out all innocent civilians. Fortunately, even the parasites were overwhelmed by her emotions, so the pain in their throats subsided for now.

At the Gilligan Household, the family of five were overwhelmed with the same sensation. "(What's happening?! I can't understand myself!)" Harry said.

"(We have to take that medicine!)" Artie exclaimed. "(We… DAD!)"

Hoagie Gilligan's throat exploded, the chubby father collapsing on the floor. The triplets looked over his body in horror.

At Iceland, Virginia Stork grabbed her husband's arms and held the screaming man down. "Okay, kids, hurry and feed it to him!"

Terry ran up and shoved the pill into Bartie's throat. Bartie's head shook, hacking and spitting the pill out. "Dude, the parasites keep resisting it!" Lola yelled. "It ain't gonna work!"

Terry clenched his teeth, feeling more concerned and desperate. Between their teammates, Bartie was the only one of their fathers that was still alive. It was almost like some sort of curse. Ever since New Galaxia, and especially during the Pirate War, Terry feared if something terrible would happen. He deeply hoped he was wrong.

Leopold Anderson and Jeremiah Heartly were trying to resist exploding. Kami held her daughter's and Django's hands in fear. After they had finally gotten their daughter back, Kami would hate for anything more terrible to happen.

The elderly former supervillain, Jeffery Fulbright and Mr. Boss, couldn't handle the thousands of languages swelling in his cords, and he died. Jessica Sidney, the mother of President Jessie, died. On Planet Harnita, Cosmo Dunfree's throat exploded, much to the horror of Arianna and Tronta.

"Children, namely the Kids Next Door, have an easier time adapting to language." Skull Face said. "They are most likely to survive this ordeal… and they will come to terms with this change in time. After all, didn't I hear that they restored this universe? Then they will have no problem with restoring the lost languages."

* * *

**The beginning spiel was written by Sarstar98, and I decided to turn it into a Bo-bobo Opening Gag! XD**


	18. Golden Witch of Lies

**Play Giorno's Theme from _JoJo: Golden Wind_!**

* * *

**_Chapter 18: Golden Witch of Lies_**

**Tower of Babel**

"You want to take Dr. Stone, boy?" Ibara asked with a sneer. "Even if you're planning to use it against us, it only works with MY voice."

"At least it would be out of your hands." Joker replied. "We won't let you petrify another soul."

"Joker, this is the cure to his ability!" Crow grabbed and tossed the container to his leader. Angela attempted to fly and grab it, but Joker snatched it in time. Crow and Violet tried to grab the Angel in Soul Ropes, but her slippery body slipped out. Joker made an energy shield to block her, then Violet leapt to stab the Angel's back. Joker quickly rushed toward Ibara, the elder fleeing around the corner.

"Five meters, one second!" Ibara tossed Dr. Stone back, but Joker shot his gun, hitting the device with precise aiming as it bounced toward Ibara. Ibara dropped his weapon to fly out of range of the light, but once it faded, he launched a Soul Rope to quickly retrieve it. "You know, back where I'm from, when children like you refuse to respect their elders, then they're better off as stone! Medusa didn't appreciate children like you and neither do I."

"Sounds like Medusa was in need of a change of heart. And so do you."

"The time for my heart to change has long passed. I was only obeying my tribe's customs, and in the end, I was accepted to Spirit World. What we did was just! Children like you are guilty heathens!"

"You're disgusting. I'm putting an end to you now."

"Too bad, boy. Your future is set in stone!"

_Boss fight: Ibara_

Ibara twirled Dr. Stone while only emitting a small radius of light. He tried to whip the device against Joker, the thief dodging with Flash Steps on his way to Ibara. Once close, he slashed the elder with his sword and kicked him off his feet. Joker grabbed a gun and riddled Ibara with bullets before the man could jump back up. He was able to yank Dr. Stone up and hit Joker's middle back, turning that spot stone. Joker escaped before more damage could be done. Ibara set his weapon to petrify the air, forming a stone bubble around himself. Joker summoned Arsene and ran up to attack the stone, attempting to breach it. "Target: pants, ten meters, one second." Joker bolted away, but couldn't escape the light in time before his pants petrified.

"Fiery Lightning Howl!" Ibara smashed through his own barrier, building energy into a yellow orb that would unleash into a bolt. Joker was struck through the spine, but he endured the pain as he poured some Miracle Fluid on his pants, reverting them. Ibara lashed the weapon once more, Joker ducking backward in evasion—"Aah!" He bent against the stone patch in his back, resulting in pain. Ibara managed to hit Joker's neck, making another stone patch before he could escape. "Target air, 15 meters, one second!" Ibara threw the weapon and exploded a stone sphere that smashed Joker into the wall. "Ha ha ha!" He pulled Dr. Stone out of the bubble. "That should teach you, boy!"

However, Joker was able to put on the mask of a Goliath (an elephant Hollow), the beast bursting into form and breaking the boulder bubble open. Joker escaped from the tight enclosing and shot bullets at Ibara, afterwards running to slash at him before the man fled again. "Five meters, one second!" He tossed Dr. Stone back, but as Joker evaded, the thief latched a Soul Rope onto the device. The two played tug-o-war over Dr. Stone, so Ibara pulled himself closer and stated, "Target energy ro-" Joker released the rope, causing Dr. Stone to fling and bounce against Ibara's face. Joker rushed up and sliced Dr. Stone's string, snatching the weapon and kicking up at Ibara's face.

Joker ran with Dr. Stone in hand, but Ibara conjured a new string and sent it to latch his Zanpakutō. Joker kept his hand firm over it, once more struggling to keep it out of Ibara's grasp. Ibara enhanced the strength of his string and was able to yank Joker over completely. Ibara leapt to slam Joker against the ground with his nails, piercing the thief in the process. "Two meters, one second!" Ibara quickly flew away, allowing Dr. Stone to explode and petrify Joker. "At last, I-"

However, Joker had thrown the Miracle Fluid in the air at just the right angle where it would spill over him, freeing him of the stone. He quickly tugged the string and pulled it from Ibara's grasp. "Now it's mine!"

"Twin Lotuses!" Ibara unleashed powerful spirit flames from his hands, Joker squeezing just in the middle of them. Ibara flew up and slashed his nails, Joker countering with his sword. Ibara conjured and latched another string to Dr. Stone, using his other hand to grab and throw his crown against Joker. Ibara followed up with a Thrust attack, blowing Joker away and snatching his Zanpakutō back in the process. "Medusa's legacy belongs only in my hands, little brat. Only I am worthy to pass judgment in her name!"

_Krrrrzzz._

"Eh?" Ibara held the device up close, noticing a small chip on Dr. Stone. "Where did this come from?"

Joker smirked. "Now, Oracle."

_"Two meters, one second."_

"Wait… was that my-"

Before Ibara could finish his sentence, Dr. Stone exploded with light. The Historian elder was completely petrified, the shock on his features highlighted.

"Oracle was listening to this fight. She recorded your voice through my phone just now." Joker said, helping himself up. "And she replayed it through that little speaker. So, your own Zanpakutō really could have worked against you. It can't even tell your voice from a recording."

". . . . ." Ibara had no words to say.

"Hmm…there's still a few droplets of the formula left." Joker noticed, looking into the container. "Should be enough for your head. Perhaps you'll feel like telling us how to make more of it. …After we're done with Skull Face, that is." (End song.)

…

Elsewhere in the tower, Valentine was accompanied by Sandman, controlled by the parasite as they explored a corridor. "So, you've recently awakened your Zanpakutō, Sandman. Only now do I feel a familiar chi inside you, similar to my own." Valentine turned to him. "D4C!" The spirit of his Zanpakutō appeared. "Just what is your spirit's name?"

Morpheus appeared over the Sandman. _"President Valentine… as I expected, you exist in this Miracle Universe as well. Indeed, you and Sandman are similar. He possesses a power known as 'Megalovania.' He can draw on the combined powers of his parallel selves throughout the multiverse. I am the spirit that was born from the souls of him and his ancestors. There are other universes where Sandman is an even more prominent figure, but their hearts ultimately tie back into him, the original 'Nolan York.'"_

"And in each of these worlds, is Sandman hailed as a hero?"

_"Less heroic in some than in others. It is a matter of perspective."_

"M-Morpheus!" Sandman began to squirm, balling his fist as he threw a punch at Valentine. The president caught it in his palm. "Morpheus, attack this bastard!"

_"I would, Sandman, but your resolve is faltered. If you are indeed the Miracle, would something as menial as these creatures control you?"_

Sandman brought up his other hand and tried to shoot spirit flames, but with a swing of D4C's fist, Sandman was blasted through a door. The hero struggled to stand himself up, propping his hand on the rim of a table. "…?" Sandman was leaning on the side of a Reflecting Pool. As if on instinct, Sandman began splashing the golden water over himself.

"Ah, yes." Valentine recalled. "Skull Face's parasites are addicted to moisture. When they feed too much on the host's body, eventually the host will dry up, and they'll have nothing to thrive on. Even a Sandman must stay hydrated."

Sandman panted and looked into the pool, still holding himself up. An image began to form from the golden ripples: Gwen Murphy was on the floor with a ruptured throat. "Is that… Gwen?"

"A friend of yours?" Valentine asked, looking over him.

"Gwen is… dead?" The image changed to that of Gwen lining up with other spirits in the Underworld. "Wasn't Gwen infected by the parasites? Is Gwen dead… because of Skull Face?!"

"Skull Face is currently implanting thousands of forgotten languages into his victims." Valentine explained. "He stated that he did not intend to kill anyone, but he couldn't help if some didn't survive the process."

"How could you be okay with this?! You were a president of America. How could you side with…"

"And you are absolutely right. After all, this is merely a clone."

…

The Lost Voices gravitated around Skull Face like planets around a sun. The ancient voices of the cosmos grazed the air like comets, mixing with the modern voices in a vast array of colors.

"OOF!" He was shot in the right chest by a bullet. "Oof!" Another hit his left.

The culprit to march into the chamber was a parallel of Skull Face, his gun raised. Behind him was President Valentine, his arrival more calm and subtle with his soundless shoes. "…So, the time has come at last, Valentine?" Skull Face asked perceptively.

"But of course. You couldn't expect me to sit idly by as you destroyed the languages of the universe. America is part of the universe. We are the ultimate lingua franca."

"I knew all along, Valentine. Whether it was your America or modern America, your patriotism is boundless. Your desire to harness the Voices was as strong as my own. That's why you were the perfect accomplice. But even if I wanted to restore the voices of 'your' America, English is still a lingua franca. It would have only existed as a _small_ amount, at best. But it's far too late for you to seize control. Do you really think that parallel alone can command the parasites I developed from Synthia's chi?"

"I may have a stronger bond with the Voices than you think." Valentine marched closer. "Because even the universe itself has a voice. All universes possess a melody. See for yourself, Skull Face!" Valentine crossed his arms and his fingers. Two diagonal, golden, see-through barriers emerged from his being, seizing Skull Face and the Voices between them. To his left and right, Skull saw his reflections in the barriers, and the space closed until the reflections sandwiched him between. "Song of the Multiverse!"

Skull Face and Valentine were standing under a massive waterfall of bright, rainbowy colors. The waterfall appeared to be pouring from a river, interconnected via a great many, countless, branching rivers, all originating from numerous sources.

"This, Skull Face, represents a basic understanding of our multiverse." Valentine proclaimed, his form charming and refined against the colorful falls. "Our universe is a Dimensional Fusion that is filled with voices, souls, and colors from a great many sources. It has filled the great pool of our universe. From our pool, some rivers have formed and branched off into parallel universes." Valentine indicated the small, slightly slanted rivers pouring down into other pools. "But sometimes, there are leaks that drip out, resulting in the small, 'inferior' universes."

The Lost Voices appeared to be spinning and dancing wildly under the noise emitting from the pool. "Furthermore, each universe possesses its own frequency, or 'melody' as a more pleasant turn of phrase. I am able to bring in parallels by tweaking the melodies in a way that adjusts them for this universe."

"So, your Zanpakutō is not only imbued with Space Chi, but Music Chi?"

"Indeed. And this tower with high concentrations of Music Chi are perfect for enhancing my power." Valentine raised his finger and gestured it toward him. The Voices gravitated in his direction. "Your parasites have adapted with the voices of these spheres, but by manipulating their frequency in this space, I can turn the Voices in my favor. I am a man who can sing the songs of all universes! Only I am worthy to wield the Voices of the Miracle Universe! I care not what you do with the rest of the cosmos, but I will ensure that America remains the strongest country in all universes!"

"Then let us see who is destined to command the voices!" Skull Face declared, drawing his gun.

"D4C!" Valentine's spirit blocked the bullets and flew to punch Skull Face. The masked villain intercepted the fist as One That Covers began to form a black and silver suit of armor over its master.

**Outside**

Gohda had fled to the mountains at the edge of the valley. With a remorseful sigh, Gohda set the dollhouse down and entered it. "It's time that we cut ties with the KND, Maria-chan. Beatrice…"

A beautiful woman in a brownish dress with orange stripes, ginger-blonde hair with a rose, and blue eyes appeared. Beatrice inhaled from a pipe before blowing a gentle cloud of smoke over Maria. "Arrange Maria's mind so that her adventures with the KND feel like a dream. Afterwards, we will return to my room in Heaven's Hotel. We will live the rest of our afterlives in peace with Maria's family. I will have to do my best to keep Maria from exiting, let alone encountering the KND again. The fate of her friends is regrettable… but Maria-chan never should have troubled herself with such things. She is too pure for this world."

Gohda exited the dollhouse and picked it up. "Growl…"

Gohda gasped, turning. An Ursa Hollow crawled around the corner of the mountain path. Seeing Gohda as prey, the creature charged, but Gohda extracted his energy blade and slashed at the bear.

At this time, Renard, Snake, and Emily were driving through the valley in the former's convertible. "Huh?" Snake looked over. "Hey, I feel someone's energy over behind that hill."

"I'm more concerned about the jillions of spirits inside and around the tower." Emily replied simply.

"Let's just check it out real quick."

"I guess since we are close." Renard complied, turning the car that direction.

The trio saw the back side of an Ursa, shortly before the Hollow was impaled and dispersed. Through its fading remains, Gohda was present. "?!" The butler gasped, his face creasing anxiously.

"G…Gohda?!" Emily exclaimed.

"Now, just what are you doing out here?" Snake asked, drawing a gun. "Shouldn't you be with your friend, Skull Face?"

Gohda bit his lip. It seems they already found out about his deal somehow. There was no point questioning how they escaped from the labyrinth. "…I have no further need to antagonize you. I only wish to take Maria-chan and live in peace. Skull Face and York-san are in the tower. Go and stop him if you must, but please leave us alone."

"You think we're letting you off the hook that easy?!"

"Snake, Renard, just hurry to the tower." Emily requested, climbing out. "I'll straighten this out. They're my teammates, after all."

"Ugh…just catch up soon. Renard, let's go."

"You sure? Well, okay. Please save Maria, Emily." Renard started the car up again and continued the drive.

"Gohda, what's going on here? Why did you trick us into that labyrinth? Was Maria's family really captured, or were you working for Skull Face all along?"

"Maria-chan has led a very difficult life. She was a young child in a desperately troubled family. Innocent, but forced to absorb the negativity around her. But now that we've been through the sweet release of death, we were freed from that darkness. That's why… I was desperate to save them from Skull Face! I had to betray you! But now the Ushiromiya Family has been returned to us! I am escorting them to safety within Maria's dollhouse. Rosa-san, would you like to speak to Emily-chan?"

A woman with sandy-brown hair and a black dress exited the dollhouse. Emily recognized her as Maria's mother, who Emily sometimes saw from outside their mansion. "Hello, Emily-chan. Allow me to apologize on Gohda's behalf. The truth is, as an Ushiromiya servant, he is bound to us before anyone else."

"That is why I chose to betray you in exchange for saving them." Gohda bowed his head. "I am as ashamed of myself as you are of me. So, please allow me to never trouble you again. If we no longer associate with the KND, then no villain will attempt to hurt us again."

"…" Emily was silent for a moment. "You know something, you guys never let me enter your mansion. You always said that 'commoners' weren't allowed."

"Our family is of high esteem even in the afterlife." Rosa inferred. "Besides, you were still among the living, Mrs. Dickson. We couldn't let you spread our secrets to the Mortal World."

"I don't know anyone who would be interested in you or your secrets. Except for right now. Just what type of secret are you really hiding?"

"Emily-chan, perhaps you should go to help your friends. We would like to put this awful business behind us and go somewhere far away."

"Why doesn't Maria come out? I want her opinion on this."

"I don't want you seeing my daughter, anymore. Please leave, Mrs. Dickson." Rosa frowned impatiently.

"Maria is our teammate! We need her help! Doesn't she want to help us?"

"My daughter does not want you, anymore!" Rosa shouted, creasing in anger. "Why can't you leave us alone?!"

"Why can't you tell me the truth? For all I know, you aren't even her mom!"

"Nyarrh! And I don't think an outsider like you has any right to judge me!"

"Whatever! I'm going to see Maria!" Emily flew to the dollhouse.

Rosa dealt a swift, brutal kick to Emily's face, slamming her against the cliffside. "Dammit, Gohda, what's wrong with you?!"

"Rosa-san, I will take care of her. Do not trouble yourself."

"Hmph…just be rid of her, Gohda." Rosa returned into the house.

"Why don't you leave her to me?" Beatrice asked, materializing beside Gohda.

"Who are you?!"

"Beatrice is our family's honored benefactor." Gohda answered.

"She…she feels like a Zanpakutō spirit."

"If you insist on interfering with our matters, we must be rid of you."

"Frankly, Mrs. Dickson, you are hardly worthy of being part of our Golden Land." Beatrice smiled wryly. "You are merely a threat to the Ushiromiyas. You need to perish! So, E-mi-ly Dick-soooon… GO TO HELL!" (Play "Mirage Coordinator" from _Umineko_!)

_Boss fight: Toshiro Gohda_

Beatrice pulled out her pipe and turned it into a golden sword, flying to slash at Emily. The Halfa dodged and clashed her own sword with the energy blade. She flicked Ecto Beams from her fingers to hit Beatrice's eyes, seeming to harm Gohda as well. Emily turned intangible briefly before kicking both feet into Beatrice's face. She then flew around the witch to attack Gohda, who readily lashed his blade in defense. He disarmed Emily before thrusting up at her, but she flipped back in evasion, kicked Gohda's arm off-course, then slammed a punch into his nose. "AAH!" Emily screamed when Beatrice grazed her back. Emily recovered her weapon and shot a larger beam at the witch, blasting her against the wall. "Draw to life, Phan Art!" Emily whipped up a picture of El Tigre and had him use his chain arms to bind Beatrice.

Gohda launched a red web that wrapped around Emily, binding her as well. Gohda called Beatrice back and flew to the sky, conjuring twin Shoulder Towers. Tigre cut Emily free as the Halfa took flight, maneuvering quickly to survive the storm of ammunition from the towers. Gohda conjured two Gungnir Spears, shaped with light energy as he launched them at Emily. In shifting between the spears, two cannonballs shot her, but she kept flight and launched to punch Gohda. The butler blocked with a barrier, and several shots pounded Emily's back, weakening her enough for Gohda to stab her belly. He punched Emily downward, but she recovered, donning an angered expression as she flew a far distance. _"OoooooooOOOOOOOOOOO!"_ Her Ghostly Wail vibrated the air and forced the towers to collapse into dust.

Emily returned to Gohda, having more room to dodge the Gungnirs. He tried to slash her directly, but she made an Ecto Shield, blocking him before shooting a beam into his head. She then grabbed him by the neck and flew down to slam him into a mountain, but Beatrice suddenly appeared above and kicked Emily off him. Gohda conjured a giant cake out of energy and flattened Emily underneath it. As she struggled to escape the cake, Gohda began to materialize stone-like soldiers that were twice their height. The giants charged the cake just as Emily escaped from it. She yelped as one slammed its fists at her, the woman dodging and punching to knock it down. Another one slammed, but she grabbed its fist and mustered her strength to lift the beast and swing it into another.

Emily flew back and drew Numbuh 362, the child Supreme Leader leaping out to pound and bash the 4th giant with her Yield Staff. She was too nimble to manage, but when Beatrice attempted to slash the drawing, Emily intercepted her sword with her pencil. Beatrice applied pressure and sliced the pencil, causing 362 to vanish. Emily flew circles around Gohda and shot Ecto Beams, the man defending with his blade. She turned intangible, Gohda conjuring a shield in preparation. He kept his blade ready the other way, and as expected, Emily appeared. She dodged his slash and shot ecto in his eyes, then flew away before Beatrice's sword could attack.

"I remember you and Maria saying the 'Golden Witch' was the one who uplifted you to the Spirit World. I always dismissed that as your family's belief, but I wonder…"

Gohda flew away and conjured four Shoulder Towers, retreating behind one. Emily gave chase, maneuvering around the tower, but Gohda continued to keep out of her vision, leaving the towers to bombard her. Emily became invisible again, but the towers seemed to automatically trace her. She decided to muster a wider Ecto Beam and destroyed the tower Gohda was behind, then she quickly flew to intercept and grab the butler. Emily slammed him directly against a tower, and the remaining three dispersed. Gohda binded Emily in a red web, stunning her once more and landing slashes against her. She escaped, her Zanpakutō suddenly reforming as she stabbed the pencil into Gohda's eye.

"Golden Chef Mode!" A golden spatula spawned in Gohda's hand in place of his blue blade. A black cape was fit over him, along with a black chef's hat with the Ushiromiya wing crest. Gohda flipped energy patties up from the spatula and launched them at Emily, burning her with the heat of a stove. Emily drew Spongebob to counter his patties and flip them back, but Gohda simply flipped them skyward, making full, giant burgers appear over the patties. The burgers dropped on Spongebob and squished him, then they tried to bounce onto Emily, keeping up with her despite the ghost's speed. She shot beams up to destroy the burgers, but was sandwiched between two steaks.

Emily burst with ecto to escape, flying to punch Gohda, but Beatrice smacked her to the ground with a gold frying pan. Emily dodged the Gungnir Spears, but Beatrice enlarged her pan and dropped down. Luckily, Spongebob jumped in to defend Emily, suspending the pan up with his spatula. Emily squat her legs, built strength, and sprung up against the pan, pushing it all the way up against Gohda. She then flew above and smashed Gohda against the pan, all the way to the ground. Gohda smacked Emily with the spatula, and a cooking pot suddenly formed and sucked her inside. Gohda conjured and dropped other ingredients in, heating the pot up before it exploded. Emily was covered in soot and soup, but Gohda followed up with another red web before slamming her to the ground.

Emily crashed on the path, but as she looked up, she noticed Maria's dollhouse. "I've had enough of this!" She blasted a beam to destroy the dollhouse instantly.

"NOOOO!" Gohda screamed.

All the miniaturized contents of the house came exploding out, including Maria and the 16 Ushiromiyas and servants. "Mmmmm…" Maria moaned in exhaust.

"Maria, wake up-!" Emily yelled, but was flattened under another cake.

"Oh…ow…what hap…"

"Maria-chan!" A figure appeared in the child's blurry vision. She fully awoke to Gohda's vibrant smile. "Maria-chan, you fell asleep again! Your family is worried about you."

"Maria's… family?" Looking around, the forms of her relatives became clear to her eyes.

"Maria-chan!" Rosa walked over and helped her daughter to stand. "Honestly, you need to be more careful. You tripped and hit your head. The dollhouse shattered!"

"Dollhou…wait a minute." Maria rubbed her eyes. "Mama, wasn't everyone kidnapped? W-what…what was I…"

"Oh, Maria, you had a bad dream!" her grandpa, Kinzo boasted humorously. "You were just taking us for a walk! Please be more-"

Emily burst out of the cake. "MARIA! Gohda betrayed us!"

"Wh-who is that?!" Maria asked. As she stared at Emily, her mind was flashing.

"Maria, watch out!" Gohda yelled. "That is an evil spirit! Beatrice is protecting us from it!"

"Dammit, Maria knows I'm her friend!" Emily yelled, growing more angry and impatient. "What the hell are you all doing to her?! What kind of family are you?!"

"Maria…Is that Maria's friend?" the child moaned dizzily.

"No, Maria, she's a stranger." Rosa told her. "Strangers aren't friends."

"But Maria feels like she knows-"

"You do not know her! Let Beatrice destroy her!"

"Did you do something to her mind?!" Emily yelled. "Maria, don't you remember? We were trying to stop Skull Face, we have to go to the Tower of Babel!"

"That is not Maria's concern!" Gohda yelled. "Maria, ignore this stranger!"

"Skull Face… Maria feels like that's important, uu-uuu…"

"It's not important!" Rosa insisted. "Get these thoughts out of your head!"

"But Mama, Maria really thinks she's forgetting something, uuuu!"

"Stop with that 'uu-uu'—I mean, stop thinking about it! That woman is no one! You are not a KND opera—mmph!"

"Rosa-san!" Gohda panicked.

"C-Candy…candy…cundy…knndy?"

"Why don't you tell her the truth, Gohda?" Emily asked aggressively. "Why…why did you already have the Stolen Truth? Why did you deceive us and give it to Skull Face? Why is Maria's memory fuzzy?"

"Please, just go away, Emily-chan! Just let Maria—I mean, us live in peace!"

"The reason is… because you killed them, didn't you?" (End song.)

Slashing sounds screeched the air as Gohda and the Ushiromiyas were pierced with red blades. Maria felt pierced, too, her eyes shooting open. "W-what?!" Gohda sweated. "How could you accuse me of something so awful?! We were all welcomed here… by…"

"By the Golden Witch, Beatrice? And why is your Zanpakutō named for the witch that they worship? And all that stuff you said before, about how the 'sweet release of death freed you from your darkness'… I learned from Kid that your home island suddenly exploded… but you were responsible for that, weren't you? I don't know how, but it has to be you. Maria was an innocent child born to a troubled, negative family. And you decided to play the role of their witch 'Beatrice' and uplift them to paradise."

"Th-th-th-th-th…th-th-that's… w-why… would you accuse Gohda… of such a thing?…" A waterfall of sweat trickled down his skin.

"Because I feel like the Stolen Truth has something to do with it. That's why you already had it. …Have you been lying to Maria all this time? Is this really her family?"

"How dare you infer that I'm not Maria's mother!" Rosa rasped. "After our horrible tragedy, all she has is us! All she has is…"

"And have you guys ever questioned who was responsible? Or did you know all along Gohda was your killer? That he was the 'Beatrice'? Why did you never let me into your mansion? Because you're not real. You're not."

"I…I…I…" Rosa's form sizzled like static… and disappeared. The rest of the family followed.

"…" Maria was left standing speechless. Her young eyes struggled to process everything.

"This is… a big mistake…" Gohda shuddered. "G-Gohda… never killed anyone… Gohda just wanted… the Young Miss… to live happily… Gohda never wanted to…"

"Gohda-san." The butler looked down at the confused child. "Where is Maria's family?"

"Maria…" Emily approached her, placing a hand to the child's shoulder. "I don't know where your family is… but they were never with you. They weren't kidnapped by Skull Face, they were never in your mansion… They were illusions that Gohda created. You've been living with lies."

"No, Maria-chan… don't listen to Emily." Gohda said. "Your family… is just fine… they're at Heaven's Hotel… they're at-"

Maria waved her wand and twisted Gohda's mouth with a spell. "Maria isn't sure what's happening… but she feels like… Emily-san isn't lying." She looked up at the Halfa. "You said we have to go to Babel, didn't you? York-san needs our help?"

"…Yes, Maria. We really should go."

"…Hai!" Maria beamed spiritedly.

Emily lifted the witch on her back and began the flight to the tower. Gohda merely floated in place, shuddering terribly.

Then Emily returned, grabbed his ankles, and SLAMMED him against the mountain, knocking him out. "Just to be safe." With that, the flight continued.

Snake and Renard flew to the top of Meloetta's statue, racing for the tower. "Stop where you are!" Sherbet yelled, he and Ciel assuming position. "No one is to disrupt President Valentine's…?"

He silenced himself, realizing that Snake had a box over his head while running to them. They dropped their guard from confusion, but Snake took off the box and quickly shot their knees. "I'll deal with them!" Renard declared, sending her Four Beasts to attack the Angels.

Snake entered the tower, keeping his box up as he raced through and skimmed the halls. "Sandman… where the hell are you?!"

…

Within the Multiverse Pools, Skull Face, armed in his battle suit, leapt to hammer Valentine, but the president dove into the shiny pool. Three Valentines flew out, landing a Triangle Uppercut. Skull recovered and shot down at them, but could only hit the parallels while the real Valentine bent the melody around his foe and disabled the suit. Skull used Bright Heaven Cannon, but Valentine splashed some water up to have the 10 beams warp somewhere in the universe.

"To be able to view the Multiverse on such a scale… truly a one-of-a-kind power." Skull Face said. "Just how many cultures in how many universes have fallen to the lingua francas?"

"And how many Americas face destruction? Indeed, we were a fated duo, Skull Face. Both of us were fated to command the Voices. Even so, I am not the only man with this power."

**Close to Coruscant(?)**

A fleet of ships were pulling a massive supply of crates across Galaxia. Von Kriplespac, a weasel in a lab coat and floating chair was twiddling his gloved fingers in the flagship. "Uuuu hehehehehahaha! All going according to plan, ja? I hope ze Hunter Association enjoys zeir food, ja? They vill never suspect that zese foods are laced vith a drug zat vill sicken zeir stomachs for ein entire month! Zen who vill be hunting in ze Gourmet Hunt? Vhy, only our new associates, of course, ah hahahahahahaha!"

"Sir, did you say something?" asked the charming, British man driving the ship.

"Silence! Just get us to Coruscant ASA-pronto! We must deliver zese ingredients before any vone has a chance to find out—I mean, before ze Gourmet Hunters starve, ja? Drive faster!"

"You needn't fear, Mr. Kriplespac." The handsome, black-haired, pale-faced man turned to him with a beaming smile. "Rest assured, I am one hell of a driver~"

The ships were minutes away from landing on Coruscant, the planet directly in sight. …From the angle they were driving, they didn't see Amazonia directly behind the planet. Nor did they realize it was actually Bobopolis, wearing a Coruscant mask.

**Special thanks to Sarstar for the multiverse concepts of pools and melodies! Also, my mom always joked that "KND" sounds like "candy" (which it does), and I think this is my first time referencing that fact in a chapter.**


	19. One That Covers All

"Seriously, Cheren, how long is she going to be in your office?" Nebula asked, indicating the chibi Daemonis on his desk, munching Hinox meat in her little mouth.

"She can leave any time she wants. Unless you'd like to take her on the mission."

"Don't just drop her onto me!"

"Oh, hey, you're Dimentia's brat, aren't you?" Var realized. She looked Nebula from top to bottom. "You sure you're her kid though, 'cause you certainly don't have her assets. You look about as flat as they come."

"How did we jump to THAT?!" Nebula panicked.

That's when Deoxys poked his rotund head out of Cheren's computer. _"I like to give mortals shapes that befit their personality. Some work best large-chested, some do not."_ His head compressed while his ears extended and voice changed. _"There's no one size fits all in this universe."_

"Where the fuck did you come from?!" Var gawked.

Deoxys's ears stood up as the back of his head stretched into a point. _"I'm kinda hanging out in their Sooper Computer until my starring role."_ His ears angled out as his top became a point. _"Any day now…"_

"Sounds boring… but since you're here, you wanna pull up some funny Internet videos? Cheren, you got any torture porn in here?"

Deoxys's top point retracted. _"__Every now and then, I treat myself to some 4Kids _One Piece_. Torture, but hilarious~"_

"Cool, pull one up."

Deoxys did so, playing the episode where Dr. Kureha is treating Nami. "Well, Nami, it seems you were bit by a Stinky-Dinky Bug. I don't know who would be such a tweedle-doofer to go for a walk in the tropics!"

"Uh…a tweedle-doofer?" Var repeated. "That…that's a word?"

_"I don't know, but my favorite part is Chopper's past. It moves my soul…"_

Later, the episode reached Chopper's depressing backstory. Little Chopper nervously approached the reindeer, who were engaged in a game of dodgeball. "Hey, guys? Can I play dodgeball, too?"

The reindeer shot him nasty glares. Little Chopper cried and sadly walked away. "Poor Chopper had no friends." Kureha told the tale. "All he wanted was to play dodgeball, but none of the reindeer wanted him on their team."

"Man, this worldbuilding is deep." Var said, as if touched by the story.

* * *

**_Chapter 19: One That Covers All_**

**Coruscant…?**

Von Kriplespac's ship docked on the landing pad of a building… or so he thought. When the weasel scientist stepped off, the Hunter Headquarters and the surrounding city… felt like they were poorly drawn with crayon in a notebook. "Hmmm…some zing is very wrong here. Are you sure ve are on Coruscant?"

"Yoohoo! Coruscant meatballs here!" A young man (Zach Murphy) was walking around, carrying a tray of meatballs designed like the planet. "Get your local Coruscant meatballs here! We promise they aren't painted Aquarian meatballs!"

"Vait a second!" Kriplespac floated up to Zach, his extended eye looking over him suspiciously. "Ze Hunter's Association greets its guests vith sushi, not meatballs. Furthermore, I do not zink you have ein license to sell such culinary. I demand to see-"

"ZACH!" Suddenly, King K. Rool tore down the building drawing, holding a crown made of banana. "Why are you selling meatballs?! You're supposed to take this crown to the mayor of Miami!"

"KING K. ROOL?!" Kriplespac's eyes burst out in supreme surprise. "Vhere did you come from?! We zought you were…"

"I was about to, Krocky, but I got a job selling painted meatballs."

"Bah, curses! I guess the job falls to you, Weasel!" Kroctus slapped the crown on Kriplespac's lap.

"Vait one moment! I have something important that I must be doing!"

"Don't worry, we're on our way to the beach right now."

A strong gust of wind blew the rest of the drawing away, revealing that they were on a large raft. They were zooming across the ocean thanks to a strong current, nearing the beach. Kriplespac looked left and right as the Dragon Elders were surfing the sea like dolphins, including Volteer in a rubber swimsuit. A little orca performed a graceful leap over the raft… It was actually Chibi Var. "Please don't tell my father I'm doing this." And she splashed in.

The raft crashed against a rock. "WAAAAAAHH!" Kriplespac was sent lunging across the sea, bound to crash into the beach. He saw Azula sitting at a table and sipping coffee. The calm, composed princess glanced up and saw the incoming weasel. With a displeased glare, Azula pulled out a baseball bat and swat him away with a simple swing. Kriplespac landed on the roof of a juice bar, on which he was sawed by a fan.

Zach turned a faucet and filled a glass with Kriplespac Juice. "For you, my sweet." He charmingly presented it to his girlfriend, Mako.

"Oh, thank you, Zach!"

Kriplespac's eye shot out and wrapped around Zach. "I don't know vhat kind of trick zis is, but you're going to be mine little prisoner!" The weasel emerged from the glass in full form.

"That doesn't sound appropriate!" Mako yelled. "Don't worry, Zach! I'm calling child services!" She dialed a phone.

"Zey can do nothing to me! I am from an M-rated game, therefore you kids have broken ze law by messing vith me in ze first place!"

"That may be," Zach replied, "but that doesn't mean jack to the Child Service Sumos!"

"Eh…ze vhat?"

_Super Duper Sumos_

_They got guts!_

_Super Duper Sumos_

_And they got BUTTS!_

A theme song started to play as three large sumos crashed on the beach: their names were Mamoo, Kimo, and Booma. "Kriplespac!" Kimo yelled. "Your eye is being very dishonorable! I will use Honorable Thunderball!" He curled up and launched at the weasel like a cannonball, blasting him away.

Booma performed a terrific bounce on his butt, landing beside Mako, picking her up, and bouncing again. "Don't worry, little lady! My Gluteus Maximus will protect you~" And so, he crashed butt-first onto Kriplespac, flattening him except for his middle strip.

"Sumos! Let us combine our forces!" Mamoo declared. The three men slammed their rears together and unleashed a Sumo Beam, launching Kriplespac to the sky. The weasel crashed beside a beach table where Chibi Var was eating.

_Super Duper Sumos_

_They got GUTS! And BUTTS!_

_COCONUTS!_

The sumos whipped out coconut drinks and set them on Var's table. "Let's all sit back and remember this show was a thing." she said.

"Vill someone please attempt to make sense around here?!" Kriplespac demanded.

"Fine, if you say so." Var shrugged. "I will muster my powers over reality and attempt to bring Law to this lawless world!"

And with a terrific burst of power… Trafalgar Law from _One Piece_ appeared. "THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT!" Var's eyes stretched as long as her teeth.

Law formed a pose: "Room!" An aura bubble stretched out, and they were instantly warped to a pink, candlelit room. "Shambles." His coat vanished, revealing a sexy muscular body. "Var-ya. I promise to be with you forever and raise your child." He held Kriplespac up in his arms.

"Are you really mine mother?" the weasel asked.

"GO ASK A BABOON!" Var sent them both flying with a ferocious kick.

"Aaaaaahh-!" Kriplespac and Law splashed in the ocean. The Dragon Elders were swimming around them.

"My, this swimsuit is tight." Volteer said, deciding to rip the rubber off. "That's better."

"ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ." The dragons, weasel, and Law were electrified in blinding light.

"Grrrrr!" Kriplespac clambered up to the beach. "Ve have clearly been led astray somehow! All ships, ve must take off at vonce! Zese ingredients must reach ze Association before-"

_"Let's make soup, let's make soup, let's make soup~"_ Kokichi, Arale, Jar Jar, and Mako were throwing all the ingredients into bowls of soup.

"NOOOOOO! Vhat are you doing?! Zose are for ze festival! Ze people vill starve thanks to you!"

"I added a touch of Dell Keyboard to my Government Soup!" Kokichi beamed proudly.

"Now, that's the tweedle-doofer I know and love!" Zach praised.

"No, you the tweedle-doofer I know and love!" They high-fived.

"Vill you 'tweedle-doofers' have a little more common sense?!" Kriplespac demanded.

The two shot glares at him, eyes twinkling. "ONLY WE CAN USE THAT WORD!" With a combined kick, Kriplespac flew to the sky.

"SUPER BUTTS!" The Super Sumos collided with the weasel in the center of their bottoms.

Kriplespac, flattened and two-dimensional, drifted down slowly like a paper. He landed and lay over a gold, round surface. "Mine plan… my evil plan is ruined…"

He was laying on K. Rool's belly, the crocodile in sunglasses and catching a tan. "Eh. Never stopped me."

Booma dropped and SMASHED Kriplespac again, seated perfectly on the golden belly. "You know what they say: 'twas booty that killed the beast."

Up in space, only one of the ships hadn't landed on the planet: Sector $ had taken control of it. "These ingredients really are poisoned." Ciel observed. "We have to show these samples to the council."

"Should we go down and get Sebastian?" Weiss asked.

"Kokichi will help him get back. Unless you want to go down there."

"Oh, heck no."

**Tower of Babel**

Five Hollows had been attracted to the battle between Crow, Violet, and Ash. The Angel scrubbed the dark spirits to cleanliness, changing them into Paradisos. "I am the Angel of Purity. I do not bow to sinful souls such as yours. Your only chance of redemption is to allow me to cleanse your souls as well. Repent for your sins!"

"Just because you're a servant of the gods, you think you get to decide when a soul is beyond redemption?" Crow asked. "Sorry, friend… but that's not my style of justice." About-facing, Crow removed his mask. "I'll decide if I'm beyond redemption!" He whipped around, slapping on a black mask as his white regalia became a black uniform. "Drive them to madness, Loki!" He drew a red sword and slashed the Paradisos, changing them back to Hollows as red auras appeared around them.

"Wait! You have two abilities?!" Ash exclaimed. "I've never heard of a spirit with two Stand-Zanpakutō-Personas! And what is this filthy aura?!"

"Loki can drive spirits to madness! And you seem to be brimming with it. Let's see if your soul is still worthy of redemption!" Crow summoned Loki's spirit, a horned figure made of black and white stripes in a complex pattern.

Loki charged for the Angel alongside the Hollows, rapidly slashing him. Ash struggled to spread his suds, for the bubbles became tainted by Loki's darkness. The dark-red aura spread onto Ash, his eyes throbbing with madness and fear before the spirit. "Filthy filthy filthy filthy filthy filthy…"

…

Solid Snake felt an energy signature from within a nearby room. Tipping his box up, Snake peered into the room. A man in a white coat and mask with glowing purple eyes was panting on the ground. "Sandman, there you are!" Snake rushed up to the hero, grabbing and lifting him by the neck. "Hey! What the hell happened?!"

"S…Snake… I'm sorry…" Snake loosened his grip. "I was being led by Skull Face the entire time… I caused all this to happen… I dragged all of you into a hopeless mission…"

Snake sighed. "Alright, I'll kick your ass later. We gotta get rid of those parasites somehow! If only Maria were here, maybe she could use a spell…"

"Sandman should be more than enough to defeat that parasite."

Snake whipped around, spotting Valentine smooshed against the corner. "Valentine!" He grabbed a gun.

"Your name is Solid Snake." Valentine stepped forward, and a clone of Snake stepped from around him. "You were a son of the legendary soldier, Big Boss. A true patriot. Even beyond my death, my soul still watches over America, but there are too few admirable people."

"It takes one to know one. Why is the once proud president working for Skull Face?"

"Skull Face is a means to an end. As we speak, my true self is engaging him for control of the Voices. I have to make America great again. I have no qualms with allowing the lost cultures to be remembered, but the chaos he has created will cause universal collapse. But America will stand strong through it all."

"You're a patriot? You sound more like a xenophobe. America's not the most important country in the universe, you know."

"America has given birth to many heroes, such as Cheren Uno, his mother, or the man who is present with us today." He gestured to Sandman. "America is the country that gives birth to greatness. Even the Kings of the corrupt World Government were American."

"Yeah? Well, a true patriot thinks about the rest of the world, too. If you're really in a position to stop Skull Face, then you have to stop those parasites for everyone!"

"First, we must decide who is worthy. Who is worthy of taking the napkin? Who is worthy to guide the voices of the cosmos? But Skull Face and I are not the only ones." The president crossed his arms, spreading two diagonal, golden barriers. Snake and Sandman were between them as the walls closed in… but to Snake's confusion, they disappeared. (Play "Arsenal Gear Alert" from _Metal Gear Solid_!)

"?!" The soldier turned, realizing that Sandman had vanished. "Let us see if he can escape from that space." Without making a sound, Valentine slipped off into the next room, leaving Snake to face his clone.

"Grrrrrr… VALENTIIIIIIIIINE!"

_Boss fight: Valentine_

Snake dodged his clone's bullets and ran up to exchange fists with him. Fake kicked at Snake's legs, but Snake jumped and kicked Fake's stomach. Snake caught his clone in a Soul Rope and slammed him into the Reflecting Pool, afterwards landing quick shots with Pacifier Bullets to stun him. Afterwards, Snake raced through the corridor Valentine fled into, making a right turn before finding a room full of statues. …Actually, they were nine Valentines assuming different poses on pedestals. Snake growled and shot the middle one, blowing a hole through its wax chest. Snake couldn't sense any energy from the other statues, so he looked around the room more thoroughly—one of them jumped off and stabbed Snake with his sword.

"You thought I was a wax statue, but it was me, Valentine!" The president backed away as Snake got up and threw a punch, only to be blocked by D4C. Snake applied Haki to punch the spirit's head while dodging its fists, but D4C blew Snake into a statue with a strong punch. Snake grabbed the statue's head and threw it at D4C, then quickly shot his missile launcher at Valentine. The president endured the explosion, then called D4C back to retreat to the next room. Snake ended up losing him through a labyrinth, hearing no footsteps to give him away. The soldier was tackled by Fake from the left, the copy strangling the original.

Snake saw a rock and launched his Soul Rope to bring it over and bash Fake's head. Snake rolled free and shot him, Fake rolling aside and shooting Snake's stomach. Snake tossed a grenade, Fake Flash Stepping in evasion, but Snake was quick to rope his leg, pull, and knock Fake down, jumping to pound the copy's head. Snake used Line Launcher to quickly zip around the halls in search of Valentine, but struggled to find him. "Hnn…huh?" Glancing into a narrow gap, Snake spotted the president squeezed in. He tried to shoot, but Valentine slipped into a portal. Snake tried to pursue him, but Valentine grabbed his arm and pulled it in the portal, getting Snake stuck.

Valentine had come out from a different point, rushing up for the attack, but Snake managed to pull free in time and dodge. Snake roped Valentine's wrist, holding him and grabbing his gun, but D4C appeared to block the bullet. The spirit chopped the rope, then chased Snake as he ran. Snake shot a missile at D4C, then quickly used Line Launcher to zip past it. Once Valentine was in sight, Snake redirected the line to kick the president against the wall. Valentine grabbed Snake's ankles and slammed him against the ground, and D4C pinned Snake and bombarded him with fists. The spirit returned to its master as Valentine danced away to another room.

Snake pursued, finding a stairwell that led up-left, but was instantly shot in the shoulder. Atop the stairs was another Fake. Snake retreated behind the corner and launched another missile. He steered it to evade Fake's bullets, but though the clone tried to dodge, Snake clicked it to explode. The soldier rushed up the stairs quickly, but Valentine was hidden under a slot in one of the stairs, grabbing Snake's leg and getting his ankle stuck in a portal. Fake recovered and bombarded Snake with bullets, and this was made worse as the other Fake caught up and shot him from behind. Snake threw a grenade up, Fake 2 dodging—Snake suddenly yanked the grenade back with a rope and threw it into Fake 1, blowing him up. Snake swiftly grabbed Fake 2's leg and pulled him down the stairs, grabbing and slamming him against one. Snake pulled his legs free and made it atop the stairs.

The soldier found a mirror hall, where Valentine's likeness was reflected amongst the glass walls, distorted in diverse ways. "Come on, why the hell does the tower have a room like this?! Hmmm…" Snake took out a Solaris Cigar, lit it up, inhaled, and blew. The sacred cigar fogged the hall as Snake roamed around, preventing the mirrors from reflecting. He saw the real Valentine trying to hold his breath, so he drew his gun and shot him. Valentine endured and got between two mirrors, pulling two more clones of himself out. The twins charged Snake, the soldier yanking one over with his rope, grabbing his arm, and slamming him down. The other Valentine called D4C, but Snake jumped back and shot a missile to disperse it. Snake used Line Launcher to kick down that Valentine and catch up to the main one.

D4C sprung up to intercept Snake, but he wrestled with the spirit and took it down. Snake dropped a grenade and Flashed away, exploding the spirit and injuring its master. The other Valentines warped away, and Snake Flashed behind the main one and grabbed his neck, choking the president. "I would think you would've had more energybending attacks up your sleeve."

"I am reserving my power so that the Miracle Valentine may draw on the most of it. Though our lives aren't connected, our power is. Even D4C can only appear for one Valentine, but it can jump between us."

Snake smashed his head into a mirror, getting glass in his face before bringing him to the ground. Snake dealt punches against the former president, merciless with his Haki as he could feel his strength waning. "But I believe my role is finished."

"Not until you bring Sandman back!"

"Sandman will return, you need not fear. Then we will decide who takes the napkin. We will decide… what the true Miracle is…" Valentine's consciousness faded as his hand fell between the angled gaps of the mirror. The gap became a portal to suck him in. (End song.)

**Multiverse Pools**

After being warped by Valentine, Sandman found himself drowning in some kind of bright, neon liquid. "Augh…Morpheus! Why… won't you help me?!"

_"Are you really the Miracle, Nolan York? Or is your fate merely to wallow in darkness and defeat? Look inside your heart… and the great many Nolans who failed."_

Within the water, Nolan saw an image of his KND: Universe self suffering a broken back from Father. He saw his "Legends" self, hundreds of KND treehouses crumbling around him as the Hellbat attire formed over his being. His Out of Mind self was imprisoned, being accused of treachery, but he would die protecting the Delightful Children from Sector V. _"You are a cursed man who was always bound to lead a wretched life, and a wretched afterlife."_

"The hell I led a cursed life! Yeah, I had it way worse than others, but I had a great life! I met Danika, I had Dillon, and unlike most of those parents, I didn't just sit my ass down all day! I went out and helped people, too! Made the KND's job a little easier! And I died saving the KND!"

_"And only now, in your afterlife, have you signed their fate. You were merely Skull Face's pawn. You gathered the Voices and have instigated the universe's destruction. Even in this 'Miracle' universe, you were a terrific danger."_

"Why do you call it… the 'Miracle' universe, anyway?"

_"Ideally, this is a universe where any miracle can happen."_ They surfaced above the pool, offering Sandman view of the endless falls, rivers, and pools. _"It is an ultimate combination of many hopes, but many despairs. Even outsiders look to this place to form a foundation. And you are one of them… Nolan."_

"What does that mean?…"

_"As you know, there are many parallels of you. But there was a time when you existed as a single entity, not belonging to any world and existing only as a thought. It was then you saw this world developing… The pool was but a tiny bit full, and so you dove in. Your chi easily merged and became one with the developing pool, and your existence was substantiated in this universe. It even paved the way for other rivers to form smaller universes. But those other Nolans did not meet with pleasant ends… and neither did you."_

"You're wrong!"

A voice familiar to Nolan's own spoke up. He saw his KND:U self surface from the sea. "I…I couldn't help but overhear. …What is this place?"

"The multiverse, go on?" Sandman requested.

"I just wanted to say that I had a great life, too, and my legacy is still going. My great-grandson, Darknull is in the KND now."

"You have a great-grandson?"

"Hey, man. Remember me?" The Legends Nolan appeared, greeting Sandman like an old friend.

"Ah…nice to see you again." Sandman greeted. "How have things been? I have a lot to catch you up on. I had a son who became Midna's Guardian, there was a crazy Apocalypse, then there was almost another Apocalypse…"

"You sound like you're doing well. After all that crazy business I told you about, things got better. I married Crystal, then we made a ton of money off Icarus Corp… heh, and to summarize the rest, it was a mostly happy ending."

"You guys are pretty lucky…" The Out of Mind Sandman appeared. "I didn't have a chance to get married… but my sacrifice made a difference. Even if I only played a small part, the Kids New Dictatorship was destroyed, and my friends went on to lead great lives. And at least now… I don't have those awful prophetic dreams, anymore. Now, I get to sleep as much as I want…"

"What about you, Nolan?" asked Legends. "Now that your life is over… is your mission over? If it is, then why are you still struggling?"

"Because my mission isn't over, yet!" the original Nolan declared. "As long as scum like Skull Face are trying to ruin everything, our mission isn't over!"

_"Then will you prove yourself as the Miracle Nolan?"_

"I'm not the only 'Miracle,' Morpheus! There are miracles all around you!"

**Tower of Babel**

Haru used Milady to splice Pyramid Head into three smaller copies. Makoto rammed her motorcycle into one of them, Ryuji's Captain Kidd smashed one with his metallic arm, and Morgana used Zorro to slash the other one up. The Pyramid Heads reformed, but the entity collapsed after the arduous battle.

Renard had assumed her mature form, dazzling Sherbet with her beauty, but the pervert's natural habits became his downfall as Renard KO'ed him. She turned attention to Ciel as her turtle spirit defended Renard from her soundwave attack, but Ciel was suddenly crushed beneath a giant jack-o-lantern. The conjurer was Maria Ushiromiya, accompanied by Emily Dickson. "Maria!" Renard shrank back to kid form.

"Maria-chan! Uu-uu!"

"Maria, are you sure you'll be okay?" Emily asked. "I mean… after what just happened?"

"Maria isn't worried about that now, Emily. Maria needs to help York-san, uuu. …You know, the Tower of Babel is supposed to be the origin of all voices, Emily-chan."

"Yeah, I know that."

"When I was little, I always wanted to be a powerful witch like Beatrice. And if I were a witch… I would want to be the Witch of Origins." Maria raised her scepter, and her clothes transformed: she now wore a black dress with white frills underneath and a pink cravat. "And I would draw power from the births of new people, and from the cosmos's very core."

"Am I late to the party?" A bat had landed on the grounds, morphing into Alucard.

"We're pretty late ourselves, actually." Emily replied. "I think Snake and Joker are the only ones in there. We'd better hurry!"

"Agreed!" With that, the team of four raced inside.

Snake returned to the Reflecting Pool's chamber, frantic as he searched for any trace of Sandman. "What?!" A light seemed to rupture from space, rays spewing around as it grew bigger.

…

"And that's not all!" Nolan stated, struggling to tear open the fabric of reality with his own hands. "All you Nolans… YOU ARE ALL… MIRACLES!"

The Nolans put their hands to his, applying their strength. They and dozens more Nolans joined forces and tore the space open.

"AGH!" Snake jumped in fright when Nolan suddenly flung out of the light. The Sandman jumped upright as Morpheus formed around him, tearing off Nolan's mask and sending light-purple gas into his lungs. The parasites were sickened by the gas and dissolved. Nolan fell, propping himself on his hand and panting. "N-Nolan?"

"Ahhh…all better." He stretched back up again.

"Why couldn't you have done that before?!"

"Sigh…I wasn't strong enough before, Snake. But now I'm ready. I have to do this for all the Nolans that came before me! …Er, or after me, I guess. …I'm still confused on the exact timeline placements between our universes, but I think I'm considered the 'first' Nolan."

"…What are you talking about?"

"You wanna ask questions or you wanna kick some Skull Ass?"

"First of all, don't ever say it like that again. And second… Hell yeah!"

**Multiverse Pools**

Donned in his Nanosuit, Skull Face grabbed Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap's neck, his grip firm and unbreakable as he tried to twist the spirit. Valentine maintained a fixed resolve, bending the frequency around Skull and dispersing the suit once more. D4C unloaded a barrage of punches against Skull Face, Valentine ceaseless in the attack, until a finishing jaw punch sent Skull away and rolling onto the surface. "Ta-dah!" Valentine stuck an American flag in the water and made a charming pose.

"Huff…the multiverse is truly your domain, Valentine."

"Yes. Though it is impossible for me to swim up the falls from which the sources originate, in this ocean, I am the fastest merman. You, Skull Face, are not worthy to take the napkin. You are…uough!" He grunted. Valentine's muscles became stiff, binding him in place as armor molded over him. "D4…C?"

"You may be a merman… but fish can get sick, too, Valentine." Skull Face stood, and a tiny light floated around him. "I had Synthia enter your body and study your chi paths. She has developed parasites made from your chi, the chi that jumps and bends the melody of the multiverse. One That Covers has covered YOU now."

"You… How very clever… Skull Face."

"Why do we have to fight, Valentine?" Skull marched closer as Synthia orbited around him. "All we want is to guide the voices… we are driven by our commitment. So, let's stop fighting… and join together." Skull pinched Valentine's chin in his fingers, their glaring eyes meeting. "We will build a better America… and a better universe. Let's work as one… my Funny Valentine."

Synthia and the four Voices orbited the duo. The parasites of Skull's Nanosuit mixed with the parasites of Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap. "What a pain you are… Skull Face."

…

Her dark butterfly wings flapping with beauty, Bayonetta was en route to the Tower of Babel. "Hm?" She felt a terrific surge of energy rising from the top.

A spire of rainbow colors grew atop Babel, and a tremendous figure took shape within it. It possessed the tall, pointed ears of D4C, but its armor was black with muscle designs, with baby-blue plates. Its eyes were brimming an eerie orange, and a halo consisting of the Lost Voices rotated around its ears.

_"The One That Covers… now Covers All. We command the voices of this universe… and the melodies of the multiverse. There will no longer be a lingua franca. All cultures will rise again. And those who subjugated them will submit to the new regime."_

"Sigh…I should've expected he would turn into some ugly monster." Bayonetta shook her head. "Alright… let's get this over with."

A robed, battered Angel with the feathers of a peacock made the great flight to the tower.

* * *

**That opening spiel was based off a mini-RP me and Sarstar had. XD In fact, that gag involving K. Rool and Azula originated from a dream she once had!**


	20. The Spirit Bomb

**Skull Face's battle suit is actually the CryNet Nanosuit from _Crysis_. :3**

* * *

**_Chapter 20: The Spirit Bomb_**

Sandman and Snake raced to the very top of the tower, sensing a tremendous rise in energy. "What… the…?!" Snake fell agape before the armored giant. The One That Covers All possessed a powerful, yet colorful aura. Although it appeared still, they could feel the titan's power rising.

Skull Face marched out of the giant's shoe. "So, Sandman, you've decided to join on this party. You've broken free of the parasite as well."

Sandman bolted up and socked his skull jaw. Snake blasted missiles at the titan's knees, but a barrier seemed to protect it. "One That Covers All still needs time to charge. Until then, you'd best sit back and watch!" Black armor of metallic muscle formed over Skull's arm and punched Sandman's chest. The hero leapt up, his arms imbued with Haki, but parasites molded armor over Skull's left arm to counter Sandman's fists. "Nanomachines, son! One That Covers is the ultimate fighting power! And now it is absorbing the powers of the multiverse!"

"Valentine is in there, isn't he?!" Snake realized. "That monster looks like his Dirty Deeds Din Dur…D4C!" His tongue got twisted. "Just what happened between you two?"

"Who even cares?" Sandman asked. "We're putting a stop to it once and for all."

"By opposing me, you oppose the Lost Voices. These Voices wish to be remembered, just as all the forgotten cultures do. I am the savior destined to grant their wish! Would the two of you not want the same? As the years pass and the generations born, your legacies will be forgotten and replaced by new ones. Even if you had descendants, what if they only end up hampering your legacy? Sandman, what if your son ended up getting himself drunk and marrying some useless wreck of a woman? What if they lose all their money and end up sleeping under the gutter, a washed-up memory, the dying remains of Nolan York's legacy? He would fail to continue your story, Sandman. He would ruin your story. But with my power, you can be remembered. Your morals and your struggles can exist for all time."

"Why the hell do I need you to continue my story? I'll continue my own story, just as I did back then! By saving the KND from the Brotherhood, I continued the story. By having Dillon, I continued the story, and I'm going to continue the story again by crushing you! And even if I can't stop the parasites by doing that… I know someone that can. Even if I end up forgotten like you say… the story has already continued. But your story ends here."

"Such bold words… but one day, you'll regret your words, and you'll wish for a savior like myself. Or perhaps you won't even remember, once I destroy your spirit. Perhaps you'll learn your lesson after you reform… or maybe I'll just have to keep destroying you." Skull Face drew his gun. "Since you will have no legacy, all you'll have is an endless limbo." (Play "Sins of the Father" from _Metal Gear_!)

_Boss fight: Skull Face_

Skull shot bullets at either man, the two dodging with Flash Steps. Sandman made his way to him and threw punches, Skull countering as Armor Parasites formed. Sandman grabbed both fists in his own, mustering the strength of his parallels as he managed to crack the armor. Sandman hoisted and slammed Skull on the ground, and Snake pounced on his chest to meet his knuckles with Skull's jaw. Flames burst from Skull's body to push them off, and as he flipped back upright, he shot parasites against them both. They formed a sticky mud to bind the men, but Sandman used Morpheus to gas the parasites and kill them. Skull Flashed up to Sandman and erupted Mist Parasites, causing Nolan's Zanpakutō to rust. As a result, he struggled to harness his parallels' power, so Skull shot his knee to bring the man down.

"YORK-SAN!" The three whipped toward the edge of the tower as Maria, Emily, Joker, and Alucard arrived. "York-san, we're here to help you, uuu!"

"This is annoying." Skull said, Flashing further away. "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap!"

Parallels of the intruders appeared from the giant's underarms, landing on the tower and running to engage them. "Why don't you have any for me or Snake?!" Nolan asked, shooting Pale Lightning that Skull blocked with Rubber Parasites.

"The less time it takes to charge, the better." Skull donned armor arms again, which Sandman tried to fight with Haki, only to find his iron knuckles cracking. Sandman flashed away, and Snake managed to shoot Skull's face. He quickly followed with more bullets, so Skull fit his whole body in the Nanosuit. He charged at Snake, but Sandman jumped him from behind, trying to twist the armored head. Skull grabbed his arms and slammed him to the ground, brutally bashing the Sandman's face. Snake charged and tackled the villain off him, but struggled to push Skull any further even while mustering his Haki.

"Wait… Maria!" Sandman called to the witch, just as she was turning her clone into a butterfly. "Do you know any spells that can make it rain?! I need rain!"

"H-hai!" Unsure what his plan was, Maria channeled magic onto her scepter and sent it to the sky. The clouds stirred and poured heavy rain onto the tower. Skull Face faced up in concern, and the armored villain began dancing and flopping around the shallow ground like a fish.

"Valentine mentioned the parasites were attracted to water." Nolan said. "Too bad we didn't bring the punch." He leapt on the armor and began furiously punching the face. Skull kicked Sandman off him, but as he recovered, his Zanpakutō was able to recover from the rust. "Let's see how you like my own! Awaken, Hellbat!" By calling forth the Legends Nolan, he donned a red and black suit of armor with a visor. He began pounding Skull Face with greater ferocity, denting a crack in the chest and ripping it clean open from there. Skull released mist again, so Sandman fled before his sword could rust. Skull seemed less dazzled by the rain due to the mist, trying to chase Sandman. Snake launched a missile and exploded against Skull Face, then switched to a gun to land shots, for the bullets wouldn't rust in time before hitting.

Unfortunately, the parallel Maria reformed and zapped the original with a shock spell. She then cast a spell to warm the sky and dry the rain. With that, Skull switched to Fire Parasites and charged at Snake, dodging the bullets and punching the soldier to the ground. Skull stomped and burned Snake's face, but Emily spared time to shoot him off with an Ecto Beam. Skull dispersed the flames and switched to Camouflage Parasites. He ran around and behind Sandman to punch his head. Sandman spun for a retaliatory strike, but Skull dodged, grabbed Hellbat's helmet, and tore it off, ramming the horn against Nolan's head.

"Perhaps I will be able to trace him." Alucard became a bat and flapped onto Nolan's head, using sonar in different directions. When the waves seemed to bounce against something, Alucard pounced the villain and took him down. Alucard's clone recovered and tackled him off, but Sandman was quick to zap Pale Lightning over the invisible villain. The camo wore off, but Skull recovered and donned the Nanosuit again. The Nanosuit clashed knuckles with the Hellbat suit like small bursts of thunder rippling the air. The two ultimately grabbed each other's fists and wrestled one-another. Since Sandman was still lacking the helmet, Skull Face bashed his own helmet against Nolan's face, brutally bruising him as Sandman struggled to maintain a grip.

"How about we even the odds?" Joker flipped behind Skull and donned the Pyramid Twins' mask. A large Pyramid Head appeared and stabbed Skull into the ground with two spears, shattering the armor. Pyramid continued thrusting spears into Skull before the giant broke back into two and fainted. Sandman leapt on and lay more punches onto Skull Face, but he leapt off before the Fire Parasites ignited. Snake shot the villain, so Skull charged at him, but Sandman restrained Skull with two Soul Ropes. Skull Face burned a rope and used the free hand to trap Snake in a Black Coffin, puncturing it with spears as Snake collapsed afterward. He burned the other rope off afterward.

"Hey, Skull Face!" The villain turned—his eyes popped at seeing Nolan dressed in a cow suit. "It's time for you to drink your milk!" He drew two bottles and squirted powerful streams of milk to douse the fiery body. Feeling thirsty, Skull was compelled to drink the milk to feed his parasites. He emitted mist to negate the thirst, but Sandman immediately shot Pale Fire to dry them up faster. He donned the Hellbat again and lay punches onto the villain, bending and denting his jaw without mercy. Skull quickly shot Sandman's stomach as Mist Parasites developed from the bullet, turning Morpheus to rust as Hellbat disappeared.

Skull kicked Sandman off him, getting up and equipping the Nano Armor. "Tell me, Sandman! If I were to fall now, who would be left to remember the cultures? WHOOOOO?!" He flew up to land a mighty uppercut, Sandman flying to the sky. "WHO? WHOOO?!" Skull leapt to punch, then kick Sandman back to the ground. "WHO?" He crashed onto Sandman. "WHO WHO WHO WHO WHO WHO WHO?!" Followed by a bombardment of fists.

"NOT YOU!" Emily flew, turned intangible, phased through the armor, and forced Skull Face out of it. She landed punches on him as well before her clone flew to shove her away. Skull mustered the Five Dragon Destruction: one dragon gnashed Sandman, another gnashed Snake, another bit Alucard, one got Joker, and another attacked Emily. With all five weakened on the ground, save for the clones, only Maria Ushiromiya was left standing. The clones flew to attack the witch, but she conjured a shield to protect herself.

"Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, return them." As commanded, the clones flew back to the titan's under arms and warped away. Skull Face approached Maria himself, using Bright Heaven Cannon to shatter her barrier. Maria fell on her rear, gritting her teeth as Skull cocked his gun at her head. "Then let me ask this: if the great Sandman cannot even stop me, WHO is going to save you, child?"

"Uuuuuu! Uuuuuu!" screamed Maria, waving her scepter. "This is the spell that makes bad witches go away! Uuuuu!"

"There are no bad witches here, brat!"

"Guess again, Skull Boy!" He looked up, gasping as Bayonetta flew above the tower. The winged witch landed a kick against the villain, bouncing him toward the titan. "Little one, this is why you never talk to strangers." she said to Maria scoldingly.

"Bayonetta!" Skull Face stood. "So, you've made your choice, eh?"

"I just have a fondness for kids, Skull." She marched closer as her heels clacked. "Perhaps it truly is the KND operative inside me. You may have helped get my memory back, but I will not forgive what you're doing to the universe."

"It truly is a shame, Bayonetta. I would have revived your culture's teachings as well… but now, you may not live to see it. Fortunately, it seems One That Covers All is nearly complete. It can take over from here." And so, Skull flew into the titan. The world rumbled as it raised its arms.

"Maria!" Renard raced up onto the tower. "I'm sorry I wasn't here earlier; they told me to wait in case we needed to surprise him. Let's combine our magic and heal everyone!"

"Hai!" Both mages held the wand and cast magic over the injured five, repairing their wounds. The adults and teen quickly recovered, gazing up as One That Covers All raised to the sky.

"Damn! What're we gonna do now?!" Emily asked.

"It's not too late! We can defeat him together!" Nolan vowed. "Us, Bayonetta, and all the Nolans inside me!"

"What the crud does that mean?!"

"Don't question it!" Snake shouted. "It's a confidence thing! Let's fly up and knock that rabbit outta the sky!"

"Yes!" Joker replied determinedly. "Let's save the world!"

"Let's end these parasites at long last!" Alucard declared. (Play "The Greatest Jubilee" from _Bayonetta_!)

_Final boss: One That Covers All_

The sky alit with an array of colors as the Voices continued to orbit around the titan. As the heroes flew for him, meteor-sized energy spheres rained down. Bayonetta's Demon Fists punched the spheres toward the titan, some managing to strike him. _"Dojyan!"_ Covers All stretched two golden barriers, sandwiching the heroes as they found their selves on the Universe Pool, seeing the endless, colorful falls all around. Covers All stomped and splashed across the pool, blasting energy at them, and whenever they shot energy back, he splashed the water to warp their attacks. He swiped his foot across the water to kick them away.

_"Sandman, the multiverse listens to you, too! Use it!"_ Acknowledging Morpheus's voice, Nolan called forth the many Nolans to his side, uniting their fists in a great rainbow. They leapt and met the fist of Covers All, applying ever greater power until the titan was blown out of the dimension. Everyone had returned to reality, and with Covers still stunned, Sandman flew to pound his face, bending him back, and Joker roped his neck and legs to bend him into a loop. Covers recovered and burst to blow the heroes away. Bayonetta flew up with swords drawn, using them to block from Covers' karate-chop attacks and kick guns at his eyes. Covers kicked Bayonetta miles away and flew away himself.

"I wonder if there are any gaps in his armor?" Emily said. "I'm going to fly closer and look!" She turned invisible and made the flight.

Covers raised an arm and stirred the halo above him. _"The Lingering Regrets longs for your unfulfilled wishes."_ An orange spirit was cast toward them, attracted to Alucard. The spirit flew up his nostrils, projecting illusions of Renard. _"Why wouldn't you marry me, Alucard?! Why?!"_ The crying women attacked Alucard, but even without hesitating to slice the spirits, his sword couldn't harm them, but they continued to sting his heart. Alucard ended up falling, but Maria created an egg, hatched it into a chick, and grew an eagle to fly down and save him. The others kept pursuing Covers, who opened a palm and unleashed the Five Dragons again. The heroes combined their strength to create a barrier and defend from the powerful attack. Still invisible, Emily had caught up to Covers, but was unable to phase into its being.

Alucard grabbed Renard's fist and looked her in the eyes. "I do regret rejecting your love, but I am thankful you did not burden yourself with me. You chose to be with that Somershire fellow and move on. Your lineage continues to this day, happy and healthy. I regret not helping that to happen, but I do not regret watching you live on!"

The illusion disappeared. Alucard passed a smile to the real Renard and kept flying.

"Hey, guys!" Emily yelled, returning to the group. "The only gaps I could find are the ear holes, but they're really small!"

"Maria has an idea!" the witch cheered. "Emily-chan, ride one of Bayo-san's bullets!" She cast a spell and shrank the Halfa to bullet size.

"Wait! I didn't volunteer for-"

"Shut up and strap in!" Bayonetta snatched the tiny ghost and stuck her in a gun. "I call this technique, 'How I Learned to Love the Bullet'!" And she fired. Emily's grip was tight on the bullet, her skin practically flapping off her skull. She turned intangible to hide from Covers' vision, and Bayonetta shot bullets from other angles to distract him. The left ear of the titan was within trajectory, so Emily kept its course directly toward the base. She became visible and was able to guide the bullet down the hole. She saw Skull Face and Valentine, their backs to each other and arms crossed over their hearts. The bullet struck Skull's head, and Emily took a breath for a Ghostly Wail.

_"WHOOOOOOOOOOOO!"_ Emily repeated Skull's cry from before, her little lungs piercing the drums of the two men. Covers vibrated from the wail, and Emily was eventually blown out, enlarging back to normal. Bayonetta seized the chance to grab Covers' arms and legs with Demon Arms, then conjured two more to pound the head. The attack lasted for five seconds before Covers broke free of the arms and kicked Bayo away. Covers began to wave his fingers like conductor batons, music notes flying into them. The notes began to speak alien languages inside their minds, confusing them. "Silencio!" Maria muted the noise in her mind, then she flew around to mute the other voices.

_"The Unwanted Feelings feed upon what they do not have."_ Covers stirred his halo and released a purple broken heart that gnashed like teeth. It flew toward Joker, sensing the strong feelings he has for many people and tearing into his heart. It ripped out an illusion of his coffee sister, Futaba, and gobbled her up, then it ripped out and swallowed Ann. It tried to rip out Haru, but Joker grit his teeth and tried to take her back. _"Dojyan!"_ Covers spread the gold walls again and warped them to the Universe Pool.

Covers submerged in the pool and emerged from below Sandman, grabbing the hero, squeezing, and twisting him. However, Maria had been flung onto Covers' head, holding onto the ear as she cast some magic down into the hole. The magic grew to become a tarantula, quickly becoming mature and biting into Skull's head. Covers hurled Nolan to the sky, and Emily flew to catch him, whirling Nolan and tossing him down onto the head. Sandman mustered the strength of his parallels and crashed his neon fist into Covers', forcing them back into the Spirit World. Snake landed on the head, and Maria minimized his grenades as he dropped them down an ear, and they resized as they exploded against the villains.

The Unwanted Feelings had devoured Joker's feelings for the Phantom Thieves. However, this left more room for a greater desire: to grab the spirit's teeth and try to rip its heart-mouth even further. The Unwanted Feelings became a mask. Joker flew toward the titan and placed the mask on, summoning the Feelings as they sank teeth into Covers' chest. The chest was torn open before the spirit fainted. Maria used Origin Magic to give birth to a swarm of bats, with Alucard hiding amongst them as they flew to the exposed duo. Covers used its hands to cover the gap, but Bayonetta and Sandman worked together to grab and pull the arms apart. Covers tried to shake them off, and it shot energy spheres at the bats, but couldn't stop Alucard from reaching them. He reverted to normal and stabbed his sword into Skull Face, but was banished with a burst of energy.

_"The Lieaters desire those unwanted by Truth."_ The vicious, crescent-grinned spirit of the Stolen Truth lunged at Maria, engulfing her in its giant teeth. An illusion of her mother appeared. _"Maria, you've become such an amazing witch. Mama is so proud of you. All these years, I mocked the idea of Beatrice, but no other miracle could explain your birth and your gift."_

Her uncle, Rudolf appeared. _"Thanks to Beatrice, I get to live in peace and love with my amazing family."_ The rest of the family attained shape.

"Peace and love… Family?"

_"Won't you say it, Maria? Won't you say the magic words? Uu-uu?"_ Rosa pled.

"…Mama never liked it when I said 'uu.'"

_"I was being possessed by an evil witch, darling. Please, say it for me!"_

"Mama…Mama always hit me… when I said 'uu.' Mama always told me to grow up. I made Mama's life awful."

_"Th-That's not true! Maria-chan, Mama always loved you. Why ever would you say…"_

"Mama…Mama wishes she never had Maria."

_"M-Mama loves Maria! Why would you think such awful things?!"_

"Because deep down… Maria feels… it's the Truth!"

The Lieater's face cringed, spewing out the young witch. Maria conjured the stuffed doll of Sakutaro and willed it to grow into a proud lion. Sakutaro howled and pranced across the air, carrying Maria on his back. He whooshed around the titan, swiftly evading its music notes. Maria made the full loop, intending to attack Skull Face, but Covers covered his gap again. "Maria brought ice cream, uuuuuu!" The witch made ice cream rain from the sky, covering Covers in the sweet substance. Attracted by the moisture, the parasites began trying to feast on the cream, allowing Sakutaro to sink his teeth into the villain. He tugged at Skull viciously before the villain could thrust them away, but Sandman flew to slam a fist against Skull and blast Covers directly against the tower.

_"The Lost Time clings to memories lost!"_ The blue spirit of a grandfather clock whooshed around Bayonetta, wishing to steal the memories that are struggling to readjust in her mind.

"NOT THIS TIME!" A Holy Glaive cut the air and struck the spirit. The clock screeched with eerie panic and retreated.

"B…Balder!" Bayonetta exclaimed.

The Divine Angel was still slightly battered from the earlier encounter. "Cereza… do you remember now?"

"I…I do…"

Covers sprung up and swat them both away. As the titan followed in attempt to clap them, Balder conjured Angelic Arms to restrain the beast. "Mr. York!" He turned to Nolan. "Listen… on my way here, I sent a message to all remaining Angels, as well as the KND. I want to… teach you something!"

"What?"

Bayonetta flew behind Covers and grabbed its head in two Demon Arms, pulling it away from Balder. The Lumen flew to Nolan and explained, "There is a powerful energybending technique called the Spirit Bomb. With it, we may be able to defeat him."

"What do we do to use that?"

"Just stand at the top of the tower and…"

After hearing the instructions, Nolan nodded seriously. "Got it."

Bayonetta punched Covers beneath the edge of Meloetta's statue. Covers caught her in his hand, but Balder stabbed the wrist with his glaive and made him release. As the others tried to plot their next attack, they saw Sandman at the top of the tower, his hands raised. "Sandman, what are you doing?!" Snake asked.

Emily and Maria's communicators rang. _"This is Death the Kid to all KND operatives. Everyone is to report to the Valley of Song as soon as possible. All operatives present must follow my instructions carefully. Do you see the light forming in the sky?"_

"The light?" Emily asked, looking skyward.

"Maria doesn't see a… wait…" The child's eyes lit.

The Phantom Thieves had joined with Crow and Violet at the tower's entrance. While cautiously observing the One That Covers All, Futaba sensed another body of energy. "Whoa! Guys, look up there!"

Though it wasn't distinct at first, a small white light was glimmering in the sky. It was mistakable as one of many stars in the heavens… yet it was notably brighter and seemed to be shimmering. _"According to Balder, one of our operatives is attempting to create a Spirit Bomb. Everyone present is to channel your own energy toward that light. I will do the same! Hurry!"_

"A Spirit Bomb?" Snake asked once Emily passed the message.

"Let's just do it!" Emily insisted. "The faster it's complete, the better!" She raised her hands to the light.

"I'll call my team!" Joker said, quickly transmitting the signal.

"A Spirit Bomb?" Ryuji repeated. "Man, that sounds cool! Whatever you say, Joker!" He raised his hands.

"I'll raise 'em like I just don't care!" Futaba did so. "Even though I do!"

"This better work!" Snake stated, raising his.

"It will and it must!" Alucard raised his.

"You have my support!" Renard raised hers.

"Uuuuuu!" Maria cheered. (Play "Fly Me to the Moon" from _Bayonetta_!)

Bayonetta grabbed Covers' hand while Balder flew to stab Skull, only for the right hand to swat him away. Covers conducted the Lingering Regrets into attacking Balder, and a bunch of Cereza illusions appeared. _"Daddy, why wouldn't you tell me back then? I wanted to meet you."_ The clones attacked him, but he could only defend himself.

"I was blinded by anger, Cereza. I thought I was being punished for having you, so I just wanted to disown you. But not anymore! I'm glad you got back what you lost! Rosa may be gone, but I still have you!" The illusions vanished, and Balder flew to slice Covers' head, cracking the eyes. Covers quickly conducted the Unwanted Feelings to tear out Balder's love for Rosa, but Bayonetta slashed the spirit and rescued the love. She summoned a Demon Dragon to bite and chomp the spirit, spitting it against Skull. Growing furious, One That Covers trapped and caught the two in the Universe Pool.

"Jubileus!" Balder summoned the spirit of his Zanpakutō, a golden-clad, goddess-like entity. Jubileus rained Sacred Arrows from the sky, piercing Covers. Bayonetta flew up to Skull Face, but Covers submerged in the sea and shot out in attempt to clap her—Bayonetta used Witch Time to dodge the attack, waiting patiently for Skull's body to emerge. As soon as it did, she flew down to him, resumed time, and kicked him with such force that they escaped the Universe Pool.

"Damn you, Balder!" Skull Face shouted. "You have nothing to lose because your culture still honors the gods! You are one of many accursed lingua francas! You and your Angels destroyed Bayonetta's culture! Why are you siding with him?!"

"Because… he…!"

"Wait… what is that?!" Skull gasped, seeing the white, sun-like force in the sky. The Spirit Bomb had grown to a terrific size. It was composed of all the power of many souls, all submitting their hope and determination.

The kids of Sector YU: Yusuke, Rinku, Jin, and Botan. Those of Sector SOUL: Rukia Kuchiki, Norman Babcock, Coraline Jones, Jack Frost, and even Jack Skellington was present. Sector SCYTHE's Maka Albarn, Black Star, and Ellen Wickens gave their power. Sector REAP's Neku, Joshua, Shiki, and Beat & Rhyme offered their power. Yachiru and Sector BOO gave power, Ruby Gloom and Sector GLOOM gave power. Latula Pyrope and other Trollian spirits offered power. Dimentia sat patiently beside Leic as the little angel offered every ounce of his spirit. Death the Kid offered his power.

Balder flew behind One That Covers and wrapped his peacock feathers around each of its limbs, while Jubileus grabbed the giant's neck. "Cereza! Assist Nolan now! I'll restrain him!"

"Balder!"

"Hurry, Cereza! As soon as this is over… I will make up for the time I stole from you…"

"…Daddy…" Bayonetta whipped around and launched to the sky.

Unable to submit any more energy, having expended both his own and those of his parallels, Nolan leapt to the sky. "This is a two-person job, boy!" Bayonetta shouted, quickly catching up with him. The Sandman and Umbra Witch flew together, swirling to the sky. With both their hands raised, they grabbed the tremendous Spirit Bomb like a basketball the size of a stadium. They mustered all that remained of their strength to bend their arms and throw the bomb directly down to One That Covers All. "Madama Butterfly, Witch Time!" Bayonetta pulled Sandman in with her, time slowing down around them. "Sandman, you can control the bomb from here! Make sure it hits!"

Indeed, Nolan could still control the mass of energy with his bending. It descended like a comet, but at a relatively slow speed, Covers could still evade it. The titan was shaking and thrusting in whichever direction as Balder struggled to keep him stationary, trying to keep him in the bomb's trajectory. Covers also sent energy spheres to intercept it, so Nolan steered the bomb around them. The Spirit Bomb was three-fourths through its slow-motion journey. The Lingering Regrets was sent to stop it, but Snake grabbed and pulled the spirit away. Joker flew to strike down the Lost Time. Alucard tackled the Unwanted Feelings and sank his teeth into the spirit. Emily blasted the Stolen Truth away with an Ecto Beam.

And so, as a last ditch effort, Synthia abandoned the titan and tried to intercept and shrink the bomb herself. The tiny spirit trembled under the power of so many hopes and spirits… and all the quadrillions of particles pounded her into unconsciousness. Finally, the Spirit Bomb impacted the head of One That Covers All. The light was so blinding and powerful. The titan's head shattered, and the body of parasites began to divide. _"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"_ Skull Face and Valentine were left to taste the full force of the Spirit Bomb, but Balder shared in their fate, ensuring there was no escape.

"Indeed, I was not the only man with this power." Valentine said. "Nolan York… is a miracle, too. For America… and for the multiverse."

_"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH…"_

The Spirit Bomb kept falling until it collided with the surface of the Valley of Song. With energy still to exhaust, it burned through the ground.

Magellan and other denizens of the Underworld gazed up at the dark sky. A great ray of hope shone upon their world. A white, warm sun had pierced the darkness. The Spirit Bomb had shrunken to the size of a house, burning its last fragments of power as it pushed Skull Face, Valentine, and Balder along. By the time it had reached the Underworld's surface, it was the size of a car. It smashed the men against the death-filled ground and scraped them along, carving a trail, but Balder had flung off by this time, laying unconscious. Finally, the last particles of the bomb scattered. Skull Face and Valentine were left charred and tattered on the dark soil. The tiny light that was Synthia lay between them, flickering in exhaust and defeat.

…

All across the universe, the zombified victims of the Vocal Parasites suddenly passed out. All the parasites had suddenly undergone a state of paralysis. The citizens could only look upon them with confusion, wondering if it was over. The G.U.N. and KND alike were quickly working to collect all the fallen.


	21. Remember Babylon

**As always, I extend thanks to my readers, Sarstar and NuclearPixelemental!**

* * *

**_Chapter 21: Remember Babylon_**

**Tower of Babel**

Joker poured the last droplets of the Revival Formula on Ibara's head. It had once again become peach and flesh. "EEEEEEHHH!" He immediately screamed as he was unable to feel his body. "You mangy brats! I'm going to-!"

"You're going to what?" Ryuji asked. "Bite us? Good luck."

"It seems you're left with only two options." Joker said. "You can either disable your ability or you can tell us how to make more formula. Also, you should know that none of your associates are coming to save you. Skull Face, Valentine, and all the others have lost."

"Perhaps his power will be disabled if we split his head open and destroy his spirit." Crow inferred.

"GYAAAAAH!" Ibara cried. "Consarn it! Fine! I'll tell you how to make the antidote."

**Sector WITCH**

The main components of the formula was a fusion of acids produced by Hexxus, God of Poison, as well as Goddess of Darkness, Medusa. Ibara had collected these acids via underworld Underworld channels. Once the KND were able to reproduce the formula with these acids, they poured it onto the statues at Sector WITCH. Nigel Uno, Jagar King, Marine Frantic, Mikaela Chariton, Danny Jackson, Sally Harper, and all the petrified party guests were finally free.

"Ohhhhh my gosh!" Charlie Magne yelped. "What happened?! Why can't I feel my face?" She felt herself. "I can't even feel my breathing! Am I dead? Is this Super Heaven?!"

"Relax, Charlie." Nolan assured her. "You were petrified by Ibara, but you're free now."

"I'm free? I'M FREEEEEEE!" She leapt to the shiny sky! "To… go back to work." She landed. "HOORAY!"

"What the heck happened, Nolan?" Rachel asked. "Did you… Were you able to stop that villain?"

"I was. …Unfortunately, Heaven's Hotel is about to get some new residents. Some old friends."

"Oh…oh, no…"

**KND Burial Grounds**

Three days passed since the terrible crisis. All remaining victims of the parasites were gathered and placed in hospitals as the KND delivered Haruka's medicine. Whatever was controlling the parasites inside them had ceased, so now it was time to be rid of the vermin for good.

Maddy and Zach looked over their mother's grave with somber expressions. Chris Uno accompanied them. "Sigh…that's what I get for going on vacation." Zach said.

"Well, I'm the one who said you could go." Maddy replied. "I thought I would be fine taking care of them myself… but I had no idea that would happen."

"And you said something was happening in the Spirit World, right?" Chris asked. "There was practically nothing we coulda done."

"Yes there was." Haruka replied. "I could've developed the cure faster. I just… wasn't fast enough."

"Hey, I don't know any doctor better than you are." Haylee told her, she and her brothers standing by Hoagie's grave. "You should be proud. I just wish Dad could've…sniffle."

"Yeah, fuck those things." Harry said, hugging her.

"Hey, guys?" their eldest brother, Hoagie III spoke. "Before he died… Dad told me this cool joke. I guess it's the last joke he ever told… if you feel like hearing it."

"Well… we can't say 'no' to that." Artie replied. "What was the joke?"

"Well… So, there are two girls that work in an office: Karen and Sharon. However, Karen never shows up on the same days as Sharon. Just as well, Sharon is never there at the same time as Karen. But one day, Karen trips in the office, and her wig comes off. It turns out… Sharon is Karen."

". . . . . . ." It took a moment for them to process the joke. "Pffffffftttt…" And Artie couldn't hold in his laughter. "Sharon… is Karen…ha ha ha. Sharon… is Karen!"

Haylee coughed out a chuckle. "Wow, Dad… you still got it in you. Ha ha ha…"

"Nngh…Dad…" Harry sported a smile.

Panini and Francis held hands as they looked over their grandfather's grave. In truth, they weren't particularly close to him, only really seeing him on gatherings. Such a thing was natural to those with KND duties. "At least he'll get to be with Mom again…" Francis said.

"Yeah… Mr. Boss was a great father." Patton said. "And he rarely had the heart of a villain, anyway. Sleep well… Mr. Fulbright."

**KND Moonbase**

Plexiodorite stood before Cheren in the latter's office. He was no longer viewed as an invisible chibi, but a lean and broad-shouldered man. The boy at the desk was far smaller and scrawnier in comparison, but he looked nonetheless professional like the principal of a school.

"On behalf of our superiors, we would like to sincerely apologize for allowing Varcrutis to endanger your operatives… again. However, as you may soon hear, our approach to the situation was different. Rather than fight or chase her off ourselves, we decided it would be better to seek the KND's aid. If the Daemonis could understand the true strength of your operatives, they would think twice about attacking again. You see, Mr. Uno, there is a certain law in the multiverse that decrees that denizens of foreign universes will have their powers altered or hindered when invading other universes. This very same law presented problems to The Thirteen and is what keeps the countless universes in prosperity. We Phoenios and Daemonis also live by this law, but they have a hard time with following it."

"Well, I could figure that." Cheren replied simply.

"And to change to another topic… it's come to our attention that… we didn't present a good impression when we first met."

"Why, because you casually breached a secure area, endangered our worlds, terrified my operatives, and acted like you really didn't give a damn?"

"…Yes." Plex had to commend Cheren's straightforwardness. "We were only trying to banish the Daemonis, but it does not change the fact that we rudely barged in during a sensitive time and showed little consideration. However, I do not want your impression of me to apply to all my brethren. There are many Phoenios who are more respectable than I am. In fact, there are a great many of us who humbly admire you and your operatives. Some even hoped to be able to interact with your operatives, if only for a short while. We would not try to intervene with any important duties or missions, and we would like to be viewed as equals. After all, both of our factions are heroes, no better and no worse than the other."

Cheren released a long sigh, propping his head on his hand. "I guess you can if you want to. But honestly, we just went through another crisis and suffered some losses. If you wanna spend time with my operatives, then just be careful who you choose."

"You have our word. We've also prepared these for you." Plex placed two booklets on the desk. One was shiny, another was darker. "These booklets provide basic info on all of us Phoenios and Daemonis. It has knowledge on our abilities and how you may be able to counter them. We hope that the incident with Var will teach them to act more humbly as guests, but in the event either of us display strong antagonism, we hope you will deliver a righteous beating."

"Sounds good to me. But I have to ask, did your superiors want you to say all this, or did Nebula's mom?"

Plex bit his lip slightly. "That information is classified."

"That means 'yes.'"

"…" Plex glanced away awkwardly. "Speaking of Varcrutis… might I ask where she's gone?"

"Some of my operatives were going to Bobopolis, so she decided to check it out herself. I dunno if she's still there or not."

"Ah…no wonder I couldn't trace her. If I may ask, why did you allow her to stay here?"

"Eh, call it a guy's intuition. She felt pretty stressed out and not really hostile. Plus she was kinda funny."

"I see. At any rate, please give my condolences to your operatives. Let us meet again on more peaceful terms." A pink portal opened behind him as Plex stepped inside.

Cheren sighed and calmly opened the Daemonis booklet, looking over the different members. "…I'll have Zach fight that one… Zach fight that one… Kokichi, definitely… Zach…Zach…"

Plex poked out of a portal and said, "You could at least be diverse about the match-ups."

"Haha, okay, okay~" Cheren chuckled. Plex's head retracted, and Cheren resumed reading.

**Tower of Babel**

Synthia had awoken in a vast canyon of white. The cells that drifted about this white were colorful notes. Synthia's body was of an orange, blobbish form, a tail that resembled molecules, and her head was merely a big eye. It was a yellow circle with an orange ball resembling a pupil, and lines that resembled sun rays of changing colors. "Eeek!" Synthia yelped when she looked above her: though it was difficult to tell from such a vast perspective, a pair of colorful eyes were gazing at her. They were extremely tremendous and ominous.

_"Hey, you're awake!"_ a pleasant voice echoed from beyond.

"Wh-wh-wh-wh-who are you?" Synthia squeaked.

_"I'm Meloetta, the Spirit of Music. My friends found you on the ground."_

"M-M-Meloetta?" Synthia recognized the name. "Don't hurt me! I only wanted to help Skully!"

_"It's okay, I just wanna talk to you."_

Meloetta was sitting with legs crossed, holding her palm flat as the tiny light rested on it. "You're so cute." Meloetta smiled. "I can't imagine why someone as adorable as you would work for Skull Face."

_"Where is Skully? I wanna see him."_

"Skully has to serve time in prison now. As for you… well, we really don't know who or what you are. But if you promise to behave yourself, I'll take you to see him some time. I'm watching over you now, okay?"

_"Ooo…okay… Your voice is really nice."_

"Thank you. As the Music Goddess, my voice is designed to be adjustable to any ears, no matter how big or small. You have a great voice, too."

_"Do I?"_

"Yeah! I'd love to hear you sing sometime!"

_"I would love to!"_

"Hey, Meloetta."

"Huh?"

The spirit looked up at Sandman, who held the Lost Voices in his arms. "Listen… I think we should leave the Tower of Babel open."

"Leave it open? But… what if something like this happens again?"

"I agree that it's risky. We can't really do it without extra security. But, in a way… maybe Skull Face is right. I'm not saying we should force these languages onto everyone else, but if we at least left the tower open so spirits could explore it… the voices can at least be remembered. And we already have history books to study the cultures."

"Hm…you're actually right, Nolan." Meloetta stood, keeping her palm flat. "Then… I'd best hire some reliable guards!"

"Heh! I can drink to that. Speaking of, I have a ceremony to get to."

**Heaven's Hotel**

The heroes who took part in this grand mission were lined at the courtyard of the great hotel. Balder walked by each of them and put a medal over their heads, resembling Arceus's ring. Nolan "Sandman" York, clothed in his grayish-white coat, sporting the demeanor of a strong, dedicated adult. David "Solid Snake," his old, frail age clearly showing, yet nonetheless in his prime and dressed for battle. Joker, the handsome thief looking suave in his mask.

Alucard, looking spick and span in his attire, his blonde hair shining in the sun, and his frown making him look more handsome. Bayonetta, tall, thin, beautiful, and goth. Emily "Phantom" Dickson, her fiery hair a reflection of her passionate soul, a loving mother, but a kid at heart. (Unfortunately, she had to receive her reward downstairs.) Dimentia Z. Winkiebottom, her shimmering pink wings spread and her hair shining like a rare, monochrome gem.

Of course, the two child sidekicks were almost missed between the strong, tall adults. Maria Ushiromiya smiled cutely as she received her medal, dressed like a cute princess witch with her tiny crown. Finally, Leic Spirithive, his pale feet touching at an angle, his young, white wings spread like Dimentia's, and his smile brimming with innocence.

"You heroes have served us tremendously in this dire time. Despite this old man's unjust orders, you worked courageously to defend Babel and crush the culprits behind this catastrophe."

"I'm hardly worthy of praise." Sandman said. "After all… Skull Face almost succeeded because of me."

"Be that as it may… had I only allowed for the KND's help sooner, he may not have made it this far. The damage Skull Face has caused to the mortals… is just as well my fault. …As for you, Miss Winkiebottom and Mr. Spirithive." He turned to those two. "Your performance was spectacular. You not only succeeded in crushing the Daemonis fiend… but you have made them see the power of both mortals and gods."

"It was our pleasure." Dimentia smiled. "But actually, I think those mortals deserve medals, too. …Do you have about, say, nine extras?"

"Ugh…" Balder sighed.

**Mortal World**

Team Rex was relaxing at Tora's house when medals suddenly appeared on all their necks. "What?! Where did these come from?!" Rex asked.

"Tora feels special!"

"Do you think Phoenix Angel sent these?" Nia asked.

"Ha ha ha! Beary, it looks great on you!" Ursula beamed.

On Etheria, Team Adora received medals as well. "What the-?! Glimmer, what're these?" Adora asked.

"I don't know… but I like it!" The princess grinned.

"Watch out, ladies!" Bow announced with pride. "Bow has acquired a weirdly-shaped ring!"

**Hotel**

"Oh, Leic! I am so proud of you!" Ash Landers lifted and hugged his student. "I knew those filthy demons were unworthy to harm your purity!"

"I hope no one minds," Crow said, "but I called child services."

"Who?" Ash perked.

_SUPER DUPER SUMOS!_

The sumos suddenly crashed around them. Mamoo ripped Ash and Leic away from each other. "Hey! No bein' weird with the kid."

"Who the hell are you dolts?!" Ash yelled.

"We are defenders of Peace, Honor, And Truth." Kimo said, taking Leic and brushing the boy's robe off. "You are safe now, little one."

"Haha, you guys are fluffy!"

"This was not my fault." Dimentia said blankly.

"Come, sumos! We must search for the long-lost 4th sumo!"

"Good-bye, ladies!" Booma cheered, thrusting his rear. "My butt will see you later~" And so, they took off for the heavens.

". . . . . . I didn't call them." Dimentia reminded.

"Dimentiaaaaaa!" Charlie spun like a whirlwind, halting beside the woman. "So, uh… since you helped save the universe and stuff, does that mean your maid sentence has been lifted?" She tapped her fingers with a sad, sweet expression.

"…Eh, why not?" Dimentia casually warped her uniform out with a maid one. "It'll be a lot more relaxing in comparison. Plus, I get to spend more time with the gang!"

"YAAAAAAAAY!" Charlie cheered to the heavens.

"Congratulations, Dimentia," Bayonetta clapped hands, "you've finally attained your true dream~"

"Haha, I guess I… w-wait, is it legal for me to be here with you?"

Balder sighed. "I'll allow it… for a little bit. After all, just look at me."

"Hm…yes." Bayo frowned. "So, you were a spirit when you had me?"

"A few thousand years ago, the gods decreed that any spirit who has been dead for a long time is allowed to have kids with mortals, provided there are very few alive who closely remember them. In some cases, they may even get names changed. It was already allowed for gods to mate with mortals as a way to be closer to them, and the same applies to natural spirits. But at the time, having you was considered illegal, Cereza."

"How fascinating…" Alucard thought aloud.

"That being said," Balder continued, "the spirits present who are still technically alive are not allowed to discuss these events with the living relatives of these people. Of course, I fear many will have questions regarding this crisis."

"We'll be sure to explain it in a way that works." Joker assured.

"…" Sandman looked to Gwen Murphy sitting with Corey and Dillon. He approached them. "Hey, Gwen."

"Heh…what's up, Nolan?"

"The usual. …I'm sorry you had to be here with me."

"Yeah, it's pretty poetic, isn't it? I was with you in the beginning… and now you're with me at the end."

"It's not the end, Gwen. Our children will keep going."

"I know they will. …At least we get to watch them together."

"Pfffftttaaaa HA HA haaaa!" Hoagie had burst into laughter at Nigel, Rachel, and Fanny's table. "Get it?! Sharon is KAREN?! Because-"

"WE GET IT!" Fanny punched him off the balcony. "Stoopid boy, why did you have to die?!"

"Ahh, there's the Fanny I know and love." Mr. Boss said.

"And that still sounds weird." Mika remarked.

Meanwhile, Amalthus was struggling to climb the side of the hotel. "Huff…huff…I can't believe there was a hole leading out just under the hotel. At least I finally—AAAAAAAAaaaaahhhhh…" Hoagie crashed on the priest, and they took the great fall.

"Now, then… what say you all we resume the party?" Balder asked with a smile. "I don't know about you, but I'm quite thirsty for some milk!"

Charlie got beside Nolan, grinned, and held up the cow suit. "…Oh, boy."

Emily sighed as she could hear the excitement from the bottom of the escalators. Sadly, her time had not come, yet. She was still alive and couldn't come to meet her old friends. With a sigh, she turned to leave.

"Excuse me? Emily?"

Emily turned to Maria Renard. "Did you need something, Renard?"

"I just noticed something… your last name is Dickson, right?"

"Um, yeah. My maiden name is Matthews."

"Oh, okay! Hehe, I was just about to say that you might be my descendant."

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?! ?!"

**Mechanos; Egg Quarters**

"What an utter wild goose chase that was!" Eggman stomped angrily up the stairs of his base. "Not only was that witch completely useless, but those brats had already dismantled Etheria's weapon! I guess I'd better get back to searching for the Matter Firstborn." He entered a bathroom and turned on the lights. "I'm almost positive it's—EH?!"

"LOOK!" Booma beamed. The Super Sumos were waiting in the bathroom, their theme song kicking in. "We've found the long-lost sumo! He's just like Var described!"

"It is time for your training to begin!" Kimo stated. "Show us your buttocks!" They grabbed Eggman's clothes and ripped them off.

"!" He was already wearing the sumo undergarments.

_SUPER DUPER SUMOS_

"GYAAAAAAAHHH!" Eggman went bolting down the hall as fast as possible, his metallic flab flapping. The halls rumbled as the sumos gave chase.

"Hey, look, Grounder!" Scratch pointed. "How did a bunch of manatees get in the base?"

"Scratch, I dink dat's Dr. Robotnik."

"I didn't know Dr. Robawk-nik liked to race with manatees."

"Must be a new hobby of his. Hehe!"

"GYEH!" Eggman tripped on the henchmen, and they all went tumbling down the stairs. The sumos rolled after him, pounding like drums with each bounce.

"Let us take them to the Sacred Spring! _SUMO BUTT LAUNCH!"_ They sandwiched Eggman and his robots before launching them to the sky with a combined blast.

"GAAAAAAAH!"

Varcrutis was relaxing peacefully on Kriplespac's chair, floating in the spring. Her sunglasses reflected the image of Eggman rocketing overhead. _"IIIIIII haaaaaaate suuuuuumoooooooos!"_

Var tipped her shades up and stared at us. "Did you know they cancelled _Invader Zim_ for that show? Let that sink in, kids. Chronicler, play me a tune."

Chronicler played a tune on his bass. "We're all~ just~ dragons in the water…"

_"We're all~ just~ dragons in the water…"_ The Dragon Elders sang along, floating blissfully in rubber swimsuits. _"We're all~ just~ dragons in the water…"_ Omelette poked Kriplespac's body, floating limp in the water. _"That's what… the old man said…"_

**Underworld Prison**

Skull Face and Valentine were locked in Level 6 of the Underworld. Ibara was freezing in a Level 5 cell. Ocelot was imprisoned in Level 3.

Now that her soul extraction was finished, Sylistys was being carried to the prison, strapped to a chair. "-aaaaaaAAAAHH!"

Dracula and Harry the Werewolf had splorped out of a rift and crashed along the path to the prison. "Nnnngh…" Dracula pushed himself up, opening his eyes. "…?" Sylistys stared down at him curiously. …Dracula stared at her… Sylistys kept staring… Dracula's green eyes glimmered… Sy's eyes were toneless… "…!"

Dracula flipped up on his feet and begun to sing with passion. "For vhat is a MAAAAAN? Vhat has he got?!" He raised a glass of blood to the sky. "If not him-SEEEEELF, then he has naught!" Music had played to compliment his lyrics. "To say the things… he truly feels… And not the VORDS… of one who kneels! The record shows… I took the blows… And did it MYYYYYYYY VAAAAAAAAY…" Magellan scooped a large shovel under his feet, lifted Dracula, and carefully carried him into the prison while he remain locked in his posture and note.

* * *

**Well, everyone, I think we can agree this kind of story was long awaited! It was a cool change of perspective to write a Spirit World-centered story! That being said, there's still more I want to do. Now that the main story is complete, it's time to go to the Post-Soul, where we'll explore other KND sectors, concepts, and elements that weren't featured in the story! Stay tuned as we Return to the Spiritverse!**

"Does this mean we're canon to the series now?" Booma asked.

**Sigh, only as a Bo-bobo gag, Booma.**

"Will you put us on the list of crossovers?"

**No, Booma.**

"Ah, come on. There's no stories about us on any of the sites. You can be the first author to get my butt's good side."

**Ugh…**


	22. Centuries Old Virgin

**It's time to begin the Post-Soul! Also, spoilers for _Umineko_, I guess? Actually, not really, that series is way more complicated. XD**

* * *

**_Post-1: Centuries Old Virgin_**

**Rokkenjima, 1980s**

Rokkenjima was a peaceful island with a beautiful vineyard. This private, secluded property was owned by the Ushiromiya patriarch and managed by its dedicated servants. Every year, the family sails here for the annual conference. The adults would take part in conversation while the children would just play. Of course, most of the children were well into their teens and were much more mature, but the exceptions were Maria and Ange.

It was about twilight when Rosa led her 7-year-old daughter outside. She stared down at Maria with reproval. "Maria, I told you not to bring that toy to the island."

"But I didn't bring him, Mama." Maria hugged her stuffed lion closely. "Sakutaro flew after me."

"No, you got him while I wasn't looking and hid him from me. You had it since you were three, but you can't just carry it around wherever you go, especially here."

"But Mama made him for me. This is Mama's gift. Uu-uu."

"Maria, you can't stay attached to that toy. Give it here." She grabbed the doll.

"But it's mine! It's Mama's gift, uuuu!"

"Stop saying 'uuu'!" Rosa shoved the child and ripped the doll from her grasp. She began to march into the forest.

"Mama! Mama!" Maria ran after, trying to tug her mother's dress. "Mama, please! Maria promises to put him away! Mama, no!"

Rosa pushed her daughter down again and arrived at the beach. She threw Sakutaro out to sea. "SAKUTAROOOO!" The child ran out into the water, but Rosa grabbed and yanked her back.

"Stop obsessing over that toy!" Rosa smacked her. "You have to grow up and let go of these things!"

"Uuu! Uuu! Uuuuuu!"

"Stop saying 'uu'! STOP IT!"

Gohda had followed the parent and child down the stairs to the beach, watching in secret. His wide face bore a remorseful frown.

_"Rosa's abuse had become more frequent as Maria grew older. It was clear the mother possessed an inferiority complex. She had been treated rotten by her family since childhood, or so I've been told. She had begun passing her abuse onto her daughter."_

Rosa suddenly stopped herself. With a gasp, she stared at her own hand. "Maria-chan… Mama is sorry. Mama lost control."

"Sniffle…it's okay… Mama is possessed by a bad witch…"

"Yes… it was the bad witch… but the bad witch has gone for now…"

"That's good…" Maria forced a smile. "…Does Mama want to pick flowers in the garden?"

"No, Mama has to rest. But Maria-chan can pick flowers for Mama."

"I'll look for a really pretty rose for Mama! Uuu!"

"Mmmgh…" Rosa groaned.

Gohda sighed, turning back up the stairs.

For the next hour, even as twilight had passed, Maria was crawling through the rose garden, searching for the perfect one for her mother. "Maria-chan? Is that you?"

She heard a voice she hadn't recognized. Maria stood from the garden, finding a woman with ginger-brown hair and a brown dress with orange lines. "You look… familiar…"

"You must know me from the portrait. I am the Golden Witch, Beatrice."

"Bea…trice?" Maria rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't hallucinating. "Beatrice! Maria knew you were real!"

"Of course I am, Maria. I've always existed on this island. However, I can only appear before a heart of innocence and magic."

"Magic?"

"Yes, Maria. I can sense the magical potential inside you."

"Maria has magic?! Maria has to tell Mama!"

"No, Maria-chan. If you tell her, the black witch inside your mother will know, too. She may decide to hurt your mother more viciously."

"Oh, no. But Maria created a magic word to defeat the black witch. Uuuuu. If Maria practices magic, can she get rid of the witch forever?"

"Perhaps you can, some day. For now, you can give this to your mother." Beatrice presented a white rose with a pink ribbon. "Tell her that you found it."

"Hai! Thanks, Beatrice! Uuuuu!" Maria happily took the rose and ran to find her mother.

"…" The person posing as Beatrice released a somber sigh. No one else saw them… except for a four-year-old Ange, her face pressed to a window.

_"But that Beatrice was actually you?" Death the Kid asked. "You were a cross-dresser?"_

_"Maria and Ange were the youngest children in the family. Their hearts were still innocent. But I was not lying. I could sense the magical chi inside Maria. Eventually, she would be called to a magic school to have it developed. I wonder how Rosa would've reacted to that. Regardless, Rosa was Maria's only close relative. If she abused her daughter during the conference, I could only imagine how awful her home life must be. So, during her visits, I secretly assume the role of Beatrice and entertain Maria with tricks. For all I knew, I was the only person whom Maria could look to for support, the only one who could keep her in bright spirits. However, she seemed to have lots of imaginary friends, and those 'friends' kept her heart and mind pure. Rosa probably hurt her for believing in them, too."_

_"I see why you wouldn't like Rosa, but how did the entire family end up dying?"_

_"The legend of Beatrice reads that she had given Kinzo an immense sum of gold, and that gold was hidden somewhere on the island. He had left a riddle for his family to solve and find the gold, and the one who did would inherit Kinzo's will. During the conference of 1986… I had left out a clue on how to find it."_

_"So, you knew where the gold was?"_

_"I had stumbled upon it, but I never did anything or told anyone until that day. As a mere servant, it was not my place to claim the gold. However, the adults of the family had been facing financial trouble, and they were at each other's throats. I feared life was about to get more difficult for the children, especially Maria. I thought that if they found the treasure, they could solve all their financial problems and the tension would fade between them. But I was starkly mistaken."_

The sounds of gunfire filled the island on this stormy night. The maids, Shannon and Chiyo were dead, the head butler Genji, and the children: George, Jessica… and even young Maria lay dead, lain in a pool of her own blood.

Gohda was as pale as a ghost, standing over the innocent child's corpse. The horrific sight alone wanted to make him pass into the afterlife. "This…this isn't how it was supposed to go. How did… this happen… there was plenty of gold… for everyone… Just one bar was enough to help each of them… how…how did…"

Returning to the chamber of the gold, Gohda found the bodies of some of the parents: Krauss, Hideyoshi, Natsuhi… and even Rosa. As awful a mother she was, Gohda wanted to hope for some form of redemption inside her… but now he would never know. "Any moment… they will hunt for me as well. This cursed family… this island… it has no future…"

_"There was one other secret I knew about the island: Rokkenjima used to be a military base. Furthermore, it was loaded with a stash of active bombs, with a mechanism set to explode them. What Kinzo planned to do with such a contraption… I do not know. But I decided to use it… to end the curse that was Rokkenjima."_

If one could view the island from beyond the stormy sea, they would bear witness to a great flash of light.

Just as well, whiteness engulfed Gohda. As his body vanished in blazing glory, so did his pain. It was the sweet, albeit violent embrace of death.

…

Gohda awoke within a regal chamber that almost resembled a courtroom. The Ushiromiyas and their servants were present, and standing atop the podium was their patriarch: Kinzo. There were strange figures lined up before the podium, such as seven girls in red uniforms, girls with colorful hair and rabbit ears, and a Black Butler with a monocle.

"Pitiful." Kinzo chortled. "My treasure was practically handed to you… and this is what you choose to do."

"F-Father!" Krauss gasped. "You… How could you be…"

"Then… is this the fabled Golden Land?" Genji asked.

"Hardly. This is merely the gateway. But my wretched family… you were never worthy to inherit my legacy. The legacy that Beatrice blessed us with!"

"Father, what sort of illusion is this?!" Rosa yelled. "Who are these people?!"

"We are the true servants of Ushiromiya Kinzo." replied the butler, Ronove. "We are duty bound to serve the one who finds the gold. The finder of the gold has long been decided. We serve… _you_, Toshiro Gohda."

The family twisted around, gaping at the broad-shouldered chef. "G…GOHDA?!" screeched Rosa.

"M-Me?!"

"Gohda is not even an Ushiromiya!" Natsuhi argued. "He can't inherit Father's will!"

"I don't have the faintest clue what's happening…" George mumbled.

"Gohda-san… how long have you known about the gold?" Shannon asked.

"I…I…"

"For certain! There is no doubt!" Kinzo declared. "Gohda is the reimagining of my beloved witch, Beatrice! He is Beatrice embodied as a man! Only he was worthy to find what belongs to her!"

"We are your faithful servants, Lord Gohda." Ronove bowed. "Order us as you please."

"Enough of this farce!" Rudolf said. "Gohda, how dare you not tell us sooner!"

"These 'servants' may follow _your_ orders," Kyrie replied, "but you still listen to us. So, make them useful for us."

"Tell these clowns to bring us back to Rokkenjima right this minute!" Rosa hissed. "I'm too young to die like this! And what of Maria?! Surely, you won't allow my precious daughter to remain down here? She needs to grow up under her loving mother!"

The child in question appeared to be asleep on a bench. Was she even aware of the situation around her? How quickly had her own death transpired? How sudden was it? Did she even know? "…You brought this upon yourselves."

"Excuse me?!"

"Maria is not the kind who would destroy others over gold. Perhaps even now, she is hoping to wake and be with her family. But she deserves a better family, not one corrupted by greed and darkness."

"H-Hold on, Gohda!" Jessica said. "If I had found the gold, I would've gladly shared it with-"

"May your souls be drowned in the Sanzu River!"

"As you command." said Ronove.

_"A battle followed suit. The Ushiromiyas struggled to combat the strange demons, but it was a loss of a battle. Their souls would be dragged to and thrown into Sanzu. And I… merely stood and watched."_

Gohda held Maria in his arms. Her slumbering features were pretty and blissful. "Ho ho ho…" laughed Kinzo. "So, the one you favor is Maria. Just as you always have… Beatrice."

"You missed one." Gohda told the servants.

"Sorry!" The rabbit-earred girls conjured an energy bow and struck Kinzo in the chest. His soul reeled back and fell into the river.

"Take good care… Beatrice." Kinzo spoke his final words. "I'm glad… I could repay my debt to you…" He was submerged into the sea of souls.

"But we appear to be missing some members." Gohda noticed.

"It seems they still exist in the world of the living." Ronove answered. "By some miracle, they survived the explosion. And they are likely to inform other still-living relatives of what happened."

"Then here are my next orders: keep your eyes open for when they eventually fall to the afterlife. Once you see them, throw them into the Sanzu River as well. Beyond that… I command that you keep away from myself and Maria-chan from now on. I'm taking Maria-chan to the Spirit World, the haven where she belongs. I will not let her be corrupted by demons or family strife. I will not let her be tainted by the truth."

"As you command, My Lord." Ronove spoke. "Alas, we cannot follow you to the Spirit World, anyway. But know that we will always be loyal to you… Beatrice."

…

Maria awoke under the shade of a tree. The wind presented a pleasant chill. Her tired eyes opened to Gohda's smile. "Awake now, Maria-chan?"

"Gohda-san… Maria heard a loud noise and… Where are we?"

"Welcome to the Golden Land, Maria."

"The Golden Land? This is Beatrice's Golden Land?!"

"Yes, Maria. This is the land of happiness."

"Where's Mama? Where are the others? Did they make it to the Golden Land, too, uu-uu?"

"I'm sure they're around here somewhere. Let's search for them, Maria-chan."

_"While Maria believed we were searching for her family, I was actually searching for a way to deceive her. In this Spirit World where anything was possible, there had to be some way. …Eventually, I found it in a tome that spoke of the Lost Voices. You know the story from there…"_

**Current time**

Gohda was cuffed in the arms and legs as he stood before Kid in his office, accompanied by Maria, Emily, and Nolan. "So, all this time, Maria's family have been floating around in the Sanzu River. And apparently, Kinzo had some sort of accord with the Underworld, which you inherited."

"That's correct." Gohda confirmed.

"I can see why you were accepted to Spirit World. You only had good intentions when you showed them the gold. Even your final act was somewhat noble, albeit suicidal. So, what became of those still-living relatives?"

"Eva's death eventually came, and I presume she has been drowned accordingly. Otherwise, I presume Battler would be in his late 60s by now, and Ange in her 50s. Ange had been sick during that conference, so she didn't get to come. A blessing, really, as her soul was still as pure as Maria's, but I wonder if that purity persisted through the years."

"Whatever the case, it seems we have some fishing to do. We're going to find the Ushiromiyas' souls and have them judged properly. Some may get to live with Maria in the Spirit World, but some might not. What do you think about all this, Maria?"

The witch was silent for a moment, glancing down with half-closed eyes. "Maria… can't believe her own family would do that. But Maria's mama…" She looked up with slightly more conviction. "Mama was not a terrible mama. It was all the black witch's doing."

"Are you saying she actually was possessed by a witch?" Sandman asked.

"Maria-chan, the 'black witch' didn't exist." Gohda said. "Your mother was-"

"No! The black witch made Mama be evil! Mama loved Maria! I wanna be with Mama again, uuuu!"

"During this massacre," Kid began, "did Rosa kill anybody?"

"I…I'm not sure. I wasn't there in the treasure room when they…"

"Then I suppose that truth has yet to be determined. Let's get to work fishing out the family as soon as possible. Perhaps you can still order these servants of yours, Gohda. I'm sure they wouldn't mind helping to clean up your mess?"

"Shall…shall I call for them?"

"Immediately. And once this is all done, we're tossing you into the Fog of Lost Souls for as long as they've been floating in the river. Is that alright with you, Maria?"

"Mmmm…" Maria looked away. "Maria… doesn't know what to say."

"I shall accept my fate regardless." Gohda affirmed.

"Well, that's dandy." Kid said. "I'll call to see if other operatives are willing to help. I'm sure a relaxing fishing mission could relieve everyone's minds after this catastrophe."

**Coruscant**

With the threat of the parasites in the past and the fear having left most of everyone's hearts, business returned to operating on Coruscant. It was a bright sunny day as people were out and about. Bayonetta was strolling the streets, dwarfing many aliens with her tall height and only dwarfed herself by the larger species. She was sporting a fluffy gray scarf and her hair was cut nice and short. She looked ever shiny in her white gown and sun hat, decorated with white roses. "Isn't it nice to get off that tight little planet?" she asked her companion. "Honestly, with all those moons, it must be terribly claustrophobic."

Huntara was wearing a tight purple robe with crescent shoulder pads and elbows. "It just feels nice to be off duty. I spent a thousand years away from Etheria, then 20 years trapped on Etheria, and even after, I don't even leave the planet. Sometimes, I just get bored of it, even though I missed it for so long. I'm weird, aren't I, Cereza?"

"Not as weird as some people."

"Hey, it's rude to leave your pack mutt behind in the dirt!" It seemed as if a load of colorful bags with legs were waddling after the ladies, but it was actually Enzo. "And when did I become your pack mutt, anyway?! I sure hope you brought this muscle lady to fight in the ring, Bayonetta!"

"So, this little dwarf is your manager, Cereza?" Huntara asked.

"Hey, it's good money. Plus, I get to do what I love: beating up big men and bossing around little men~"

"And where did this 'Cereza' shit come from?!" Enzo asked. "That ain't a fighter name, that's a name for little girls! Not sure how I feel about 'Huntara' either, you're just adding 'a' at the end of 'hunter' to make it sound cool, but it sounds totally cheap."

"No one asked you to judge our names." Bayonetta told him. "In fact, what do you say about jumping planets straight to Hyrule? I heard Gerudo Town is LOVELY this time of year, and with our tall and refined physiques, we'd fit in perfectly~"

"Cereza!" Huntara gasped, alerting her to an alleyway. "I sense we're being watched."

"Hm?" Bayonetta cocked a brow and glanced down the alley.

The silhouette of a blonde, muscular figure was staring at them. "Hey… aren't you Dracula's son?" Bayonetta recognized him.

"Alucard. Forgive my intrusion, but I come seeking your aid."

"Then go to a hospital, I'm not a nurse."

"No, it is not a matter of health. However, I have decided it is time to find a woman of my own."

"A what?!" Bayo flushed.

"From what I understand of you, you appear to be a very refined lady who displays an air of beauty and affection in order to attract those of the opposite sex. However, this is merely a trap to single out the males you deem unworthy, as you turn down anyone who wishes to profess their love to you. Clearly, you possess very high standards."

"And where is this observation coming from?!"

"I asked your father and he told me of past incidences in which his Angels tried to subdue you."

"Well, tell him he's not allowed to disclose information about me! What bad parenting!"

"Incidentally, if I were to find a partner, one of my topics of conversation is how I despise my father."

"What do you want with me?"

"I would like for you to train me to become the ideal man. If I learn under a woman with high standards, no doubt I will become worthy enough to be someone's ideal romantic partner."

"Look, buddy, I'm supposed to be on vacation, I don't wanna spend it giving dating tips to a centuries-old virgin. Come on, Huntara, let's hit the MomCorp Mall. Her robots make the most lovely outfits. Hurry up, Enzo."

Bayonetta walked off, and Huntara spared a curious glance to Alucard before following. As Alucard stepped out of the alley, he saw Enzo toddling by, bobbing the stack of bags. "Ouch!" The bags bumped Alucard, causing Enzo to whirl around unstably. "Well, aren't you a strong pair of arms?"

"A dwarf?" Alucard cocked a brow.

"I ain't a dwarf, bucko. But 'ey, I couldn't help but overhear, you lookin' to find a dame of your own, huh? I'll tell ya what dames like, they like it when ya carry their bags~"

"Then are you learning from Bayonetta as well?"

"Of course I ain't learnin', I'm her freakin' manager, not a chore boy! But listen, between you an' me, she LOVES a guy that does shit for her, and no guy better than one who carries her bags."

"So, the reason she declined to teach me was because I failed to be properly courteous." Alucard deduced. "I was interrupting an important errand and showed little interest in its progression."

"Smart thinker, you are! But don't worry, ya still have a chance to make up! So, hurry, before my back caves!"

"Very well. I shall gladly carry her belongings!" With swift motion, Alucard took and amassed the bags on his sturdy arms. Once he was all stocked up, he rushed after the ladies.

"Phew, that man sure stole my heart!" Enzo joked, pulling out a cigar and lighting it. "I love a guy who's willin' to be a lapdog! It means I don't have to~"

Bayonetta and Huntara were crossing a vast parking lot to an enormous, heart-shaped mall. "I can't believe 'Mom' is still around." Huntara said. "I remember a few decades ago when she was just making a name for herself. GKND targeted her a few times."

"Humans can live a long time with the right health." Bayo replied. "Or the right, illegal resources, in our case."

"My ladies!" Alucard rushed to their fronts. "Not to worry! Your belongings are properly secure!"

"WHERE DID ENZO GO?!" Bayo yelled.

"He enlightened me on my mistake. Rest assured, I will patiently wait for your errands to conclude. Until then, I will do my part to be of convenience."

"Oh, I am going to send his arse flying all the way to the next city!" The witch whipped her leg in the air. "Fine then! Just stay quiet and make sure you don't drop anything. In fact, why don't you run ahead and find a café, take the best table and order us some good drinks?"

"With my keen senses, I will ensure they produce the most quality beverage from their ingredients!" And so, the dhampir leapt onto the cars and galloped across them, the bags bobbing on his person.

"Now I know what they mean by a man-killer." Huntara remarked.

"If a man wants to die, let him go out on his own terms." Bayonetta shrugged. "But so long as we're getting some good drinks, it's fine by me~"

**Heaven's Hotel**

"And here's your room, Mr. Gilligan!" Charlie beamed as the pilot opened the door to said room. Hoagie's room was full of airplanes of every model, a plane bed that he could customize as he pleased, a comedian's stage, a refrigerator full of chilidogs and other favorite foods of his, and a book shelf of comics. There were also pictures of his relatives, but this was common in every room.

"Yep, it fits you to a 'T'." Rachel smiled.

"Don't you mean a 'P'?!" Hoagie exclaimed. "Because I'm Hoagie 'P.' Gilligan?! AAAAH HA HA HA HA!"

"I'm going to throw ya off the hotel again." Fanny warned.

"I got plenty to last the afterlife! So, can I see you guys' rooms?"

Nigel's room was filled with lots of secret agent gadgets and costumes, some of which were classic KND gadgets. "Wow, you have every James Bond and _Spy Kids_ movie!" Hoagie noticed. "You sure didn't leave much room for Rachel."

"What are you talking about, our bedroom is right there!" Nigel pointed to the door on the right.

"Couples who are still in love with each other get to have connected rooms." Charlie informed. "'Course, even married pairs deserve their respective privacy, so they can't enter each other's rooms without permission."

"Better lay off the jokes, Hoags, or Abby will be spendin' a lot of time in her own room." Fanny remarked.

"Anyway, here's my room!" Rachel cheered, unlocking her door. There was a glass display of cheesecakes, mounted swords and shields, and ninja and spy gear.

"You were always quite the glutton for cheesecakes." Hoagie said. "Ow!" Fanny smacked him.

"She was also the best spy in the KND." Gwen followed. "Hey, Rachel, who would you say is the best spy currently?"

"I couldn't really say. Though I like Nagisa's style, so maybe him."

"I would put my vote on Vweeb and those little guys." Kade inputted. "I mean, you can basically hide in any tiny gap in the floor."

"No way, they're doing it the easy way, same with shadowbenders like Dillon. When it comes to stealth operations, nothing beats the traditional way."

"Ay agree." Fanny nodded.

"So, what's your room like, Fannykins?" Hoagie asked.

"NO BOYS ALLOWED!"

"It's chockfull of Rainbow Monkeys?" Nigel asked.

"It's chockfull of Rainbow Monkeys." Rachel affirmed.

"RACHEL, you're not invited to my next sleepover!"

"Here's my room!" Kuki danced into her room. There were Rainbow Monkeys, an aquarium of fish, a shelf of Rainbow Munchies, and French fries.

"French fries?" Gwen asked.

"It was the first gift Wally ever got her." Nigel informed.

"Fanny has her beat on Rainbow Monkeys though." Rachel said.

"Well, let's hurry up and get to my room!" Gwen insisted.

Gwen's room had a collection of classic Disney movies, with replicas of Merida's bow and Mulan's Sword of the Ancestor. "I had a dream one time where I was Mulan. Except there were a lot of other characters involved, like King Triton was the Emperor, and I had a Meowth instead of Mushu… I can't remember the others, but it was pretty weird."

"Wanna have a sword fight later?" Rachel asked.

"You would cut me in half."

"Hey, if Dimentia is here," Hoagie began, "does she have a room?"

"She sure does!" Charlie jumped. "DIMENTIA! Over here!"

The Zathurian zipped over from around the hall, dressed like a cute maid. "Yes, Miss Charlie? How can I help you?"

"You've got to be kidding me." Nigel sighed.

"Dimentia, we would like to see your room!" Charlie cheered.

"Coming right up!" Dimentia raced off. The others followed suit, watching as Dimentia unlocked her room. There were stairs leading up to an observatory with a telescope, several star decorations, and a few scripts of Shakespeare plays.

"Since when were you into Shakespeare?" Kade asked.

"It's just something I kinda got into." Dimentia shrugged.

"I bet Nolan's room is full of Batman stuff." Gwen said.

"Batman, Transformers, and anything that has to do with rebellious adolescents." Nigel confirmed. "And I'm pretty sure he had more comics than you, Hoagie."

"Hey, there's my favorite group of tikes!" called the exuberant voice of Dr. Facilier. "Just so you know, I refer to your kids as the grandtikes. Which ones do I like better? Who knows! Hahahahahaha!"

"Uncle Facilier!" Hoagie beamed. "What's up!"

"Back when I first got here, I was able to meet a certain somebody. I thought ya'd like to see him again, too."

It was then they acknowledged another man behind Facilier. He was rather chubby and wore a brown aviator's uniform and heavy hat. Hoagie gasped quietly. The man tilted his eyes up, revealing his blue eyes. "Hi, son."

"Dad!" Hoagie jogged up and embraced his father in a hug. The son and father were almost identical in age and girth.

"You used Farfegtubing. I'm proud of you, Hoagie. That was some mighty fine tubing."

"That's the first subject, seriously?!" Fanny shouted.

"I never lost faith, Dad! I always believed in Betsy! And she came through for me!"

"She sure did, son. I don't think we'll ever see a Tube-a-Thon as great as that."

"That might be because we kind of grew out of Tube-a-Thon." Nigel replied. "We just started having swimming contests. Same with our kids."

"Don't listen to them, Dad! I passed Betsy onto my kids!" Hoagie vowed. "Hoagie III used her in the Swim-a-Thon, and now, Artie is carrying on her LEGACY!"

"Well, two kids out of four ain't bad." Fanny shrugged.

"All's well that ends well." Dimentia smiled. "…" She glanced back to her own room. "Hey, Charlie… when I was cleaning the halls earlier, I found a room labeled for Skull Face. But isn't he in prison now?"

"Oh, yeah." Charlie answered. "But he was already accepted to Spirit World, so he still technically has a room."

"I wonder… what did his room look like?"

**Tower of Babel**

A shooting star flew up to the top of the tower, poofing to become Jirachi. "Hi, Meloetta." He greeted the Music Firstborn, sitting with legs crossed and a tiny light on her open palm. "So, who was it you wanted to show?"

"This little cutie." Meloetta reached her arm. Jirachi walked closer and got down, staring at the little light.

"Is it a firefly?"

"No, this is Synthia. She's a spirit the size of our cells. …She says that your cells look like galaxies."

"But I didn't hear her."

"Let me amplify her voice for your ears." Meloetta waved her hand.

_"So, your name is Jirachi?"_

"Oh, I heard her! Yeah, I'm Jirachi." He smiled and leaned a bit closer. "So, where did you come from?"

_"I was helping Skully with his plan. I mostly hung out with him in his room the past couple years. Back when Skully was alive… he had a couple hobbies. He always wanted to play in an amusement park, and he liked foxes. Well, he was a Negative, so he called them 'xofs.' His room in the hotel looks like an amusement park full of xofs. He called it Xof Land, and it would always make him feel at peace."_


	23. The Prison Games

**Some kids out there may not like exercise, but hey, it's better than what they do in prison!**

* * *

**_Post-2: The Prison Games_**

**Underworld Prison**

_Reincarnation: the act of a fallen soul being reborn into a new body. Any soul can reincarnate. Their essence will scatter and be returned to the Mortal World, in a body with no memories of their past life (save for a few exceptions). Spirits typically choose to reincarnate in order to "reset" their selves: to begin anew and start over, either because they grow bored of their current existence or they regret their past existence. Some reincarnate because they wish to begin a new legacy, acquire new experiences, or simply to continue being helpful to the Mortal World._

_A reincarnated person retains certain aspects of their past life. These could be personalities or particular traits, ideals or goals, but in more noticeable cases, abilities are retained. A person with a distinct bending ability may have had a past life with the same ability. While a person does not remember their past life, it is possible, through enough meditation or certain circumstances, for them to tap into their inner spirits and communicate with the voices of their past lives._

_There are some souls whom are stamped with a Mark of Reincarnation: these souls are always reincarnated upon their death. These include the Avatars, from the day they were blessed with Arceus's chi, as well as the Hero of Time, from the day he touched the Triforce. There are a couple more ways a soul can reincarnate. A spirit can possess an unborn baby shortly before their birth and thus be reborn anew. However, the most common way is to use a Shrine of Rebirth. There is one in the Spirit World, within a tree known as the Tree of Time. But down in the Underworld, there is a shrine within its main prison._

The Redemption Grounds were a separate section within the Underworld Prison where prisoners earned the right to reincarnate. A band of prisoners were gathered to partake in the trials while others had come to watch. This band consisted of Tallests Red and Purple, Rumpel Stiltskin, Koda Shrieves, Jonah Icarus, Dr. Nefarious, and Lucky the Leprechaun. The audience were viewing from an upper level, safely behind bars.

"We've had quite the surplus of new prisoners lately." Magellan said. "So, I think now is a good time to let one of you bastards go. Welcome, condemned prisoners, to this year's Prison Games! One of you lucky souls will earn a chance of redemption! A chance to be reborn anew and live a new life, an honest life, and afterwards, a chance to be welcomed to Heaven."

"As soon as I'm reincarnated," Nefarious proclaimed, "I'll CRUSH that wretched Ratchet!"

"I think you missed part of the definition." Rumpel said. "Frankly, I'm hoping I turn out the very same way~"

"Yo, Ah hope Ah get rebirthed by a chicken-dog up by Hamburger Town, gonna get me a fresh old cow, tell ya what." Lucky rapped.

"Lucky wishes to be reborn in the country and marry an elderly, obese woman!" Buu translated. He was in the audience.

"Hey, Dimentio! Dimentio!" Revan shouted from his cell. "Who ya rooting for? I'm rooting for Koda!"

"I wish they would all get reincarnated and just leave." Dimentio sighed. He and Revan had mini TVs in their cells to watch the games.

"Haha, too bad us Level Sixers don't get to play! It's just you and me and those new guys, hahahaha!"

"Red and I are gonna get the same amount of points and reincarnate together!" Purple cheered.

"Even if that works, you might be reborn in totally separate places." Koda said.

"Is this the lunch line?" asked Jonah meekly. "What's that big man shoutin' about?"

"Now, let's begin with the first game!" Magellan pulled a lever, and several large crates of Evil Crystals dropped down. The prisoners were flattened, pushing themselves up on their legs with the heavy crates propped on their hunched backs. "The goal is to reach the Finish Line with your full load. The winner earns 10 points, while 2nd place earns 8 points and so on down to one. The first racer who falls in the race earns zero points, with following falls earning one point, two, and so on. Second-to-last will earn one point, while dead last gets zero. Everybody understand now? Your path will take you across a field of crimson pines, followed by a black, scalding, stove-like path, concluding with careful jumps over thin pegs over a fiery pit. Everyone clear? THEN GET STARTED!" (Play "Fiesta de los Muertos" from _Rayman Legends_!)

The prisoners jumped at the sudden order and began to trudge across the pines. "OUCH!" yelped Red. "YOW! AH!"

"Just step between them, Red!" Purple said. "It's easy—yow, that one moved!"

"Eech-eech-eech-eech-eech!" Rumpel yelped with each quick step as he quick-trudged across the field.

The weight of the energy-sapping crystals kept their feet forcefully pressed to the ground, allowing the painful pines to pierce them perfectly. Rumpel and Lucky had the lead. There was a gap where they had to cross two floating, rotating pine platforms. Lucky jumped first; he would say, "Oh baby" or "Harder, Harper" each time he was pierced. Past the platforms, a gear with spiked platforms was rotating upward, and they would have to step on a foothold as it came up, then jump to another gear before jumping to a stable floor.

"Out of the way, short stacks!" Red retorted as he and Purple shoved Rumpel and Lucky aside. "Our skinny feet make us a natural at this game!"

"We are the masters of stepping around pointy things!" Purple cheered. However, they soon reached the edge of the pines and had to drop down, landing forcefully against the scalding stove path. "YAAAA-HAAAAA!" The Tallests' flabby bodies felt like they were melting against it.

Rumpel and Lucky plopped down against their crates to squish the Tallests against the stove. "Ya can't take the heat, get outta the playfield!" Rumpel yelled. "Ouchouchouchouchouch!"

Nefarious, Koda, and Jonah caught up. There were flamethrowers level with their crates, so the competitors had to duck lower and keep their crates from burning. This became trickier when flamethrowers were burning along the floor, prompting the players to step over them and quickly get away from their area, while still keeping low from the upper flames. Rumpel and Lucky were able to avoid the high flames, but couldn't step over the low ones; Nefarious easily stepped over the lows, but barely avoided the highs.

The scorching of their punctured soles was a horrible sensation, but the prisoners pressed on determinedly. The flamethrowers ended as the prisoners had to cross a grated floor, with flames sprouting up from underneath. They tried to maneuver around the flames, but there were gaps between parts of the path. Branding irons would rise out of the fiery pit, and the prisoners had to jump them to cross the gaps, their soles sizzling against the fresh hot iron.

After the grates, the prisoners had to cross a path of shallow, boiling water. They could feel each and every bubble burst against their spiritual skin like small explosions. It became worse as the water continued over a chasm, in which they would have to cross balance beams. The beams were slippery underwater and the boiling made it worse. Inevitably, Jonah, Red, and Purple took the fall in the boiling liquid. The others had managed to cross and were approaching a waterfall, wherein they would have to jump to one of the pegs.

The inner centers at the very tops of the pegs were rotating, meant to twist their soles for additional pain. Topped with the pain they were already feeling, and the fatigue from jumping, Rumpel fell off, followed by Koda. Only two enduring racers were left to cross the Finish Line.

"And the winner is LUCKY!" Magellan announced. "Followed by Nefarious! The current order of most points to lowest are Lucky, Nefarious, Koda, Rumpel, Purple, Red, and Jonah."

"Yo, check out that ten-ten, Ben-Ben." Lucky taunted at Nefarious.

"My name is Arthur, not Ben!"

"You think you a smartie, Artie, but you a farty~"

"What does that even mean?!"

"Yar har har!" laughed Kaptain K. Rool. "I wonder what me brother would think of this torture! He would have courses of this caliber set up himself!"

Dracula was chained to a chair next to Sylistys, the vampire smiling charmingly. "You know, my sweet, those pines are made vith real blood. I find them to be quite the delicacy. Perhaps some time, I vill collect and share some vith you~"

"They look highly unappetizing…" Sy sighed.

The prisoners rested in a Dark Spring to heal their selves. Afterwards, Magellan guided them to the next area, an open field with a gate at the other end. "This next game is called, 'Fantastic Beasts and How to Wrangle Them.' One at a time, you will step into the ring and be required to direct a monster back into the gate. If you can steer the monster back into the gate within 1:30, you gain 10 points, with 2 points being deducted for every 10 seconds after that, with zero points at 2:20. Lucky, you get to go first."

"Weiner dog." Lucky thanked him and stepped into the ring.

"And your monster is… Cyclops Baby Head!" Magellan opened the gate as the giant head of a baby Cyclops rolled in.

_"RAG-RAH! RAG-RAH!"_

"OH, BABY!" Lucky cheered in glee. "I like one of you dongs in mah soup!" (Play "Olé!" from _Conker's Bad Fur Day_!)

The baby head rolled toward Lucky before attempting to leap and chomp him in its mouth. Lucky ran like a madman and easily avoided, his gold teeth giddily grinning. The Cyclops suddenly stretched its tongue to an incredible length and whipped it to catch Lucky by surprise. Lucky was pulled into the mouth, but Lucky fought and struggled inside. When the leprechaun grabbed and brushed the tongue against his rear, the beast spat Lucky out. The Cyclops angrily began bouncing to try and squash him, but Lucky stuck his own tongue out and licked the air. The Cyclops backed away in fear, but Lucky loomed closer. He chased as the frightened head quickly rolled back into the gate. "Ten points for Lucky! Nefarious, your turn! Your monster is Xanthar!"

Xanthar was a large, bulky, dark-purple demon with tiny trees on its body and a flat, blank face. It approached Nefarious slowly, the scientist stepping rightward around in the hopes of luring it to the gate. "OOF!" Xanthar suddenly thrusted and smashed its front feet to squish Nefarious. It molded and stretched Nefarious like clay, planting his flattened frame against its blank face. "What the-?! It's using me for a face?!" The beast began to pick off dark globs from its skin and shove it up the doctor's nose. "AAGH! What is this gunk?! AUGH, IT FEELS HORRIBLE! Get me off! EAGH!"

The audience could only watch Nefarious struggle for the duration of his time. "Alright, your time's up." Magellan said. "Guards, peel him off and lead Xanthar back inside. Next is Koda. Your monster is the Sexy Slug!"

A humanoid slug woman with a bluish body, but a black tail oozing an oily trail came slithering out. It had dripping black hair and red slug eyes, which were thrusting to and fro along with its chest. Koda backed away from the monster at first, but its eyes wrapped his neck and its mouth met his, spewing slime into it. Koda struggled to shove her off and spew the slime out. Trying to observe the creature for weaknesses, Koda decided to thrust his chest similar to it. The Sexy Slug released Koda, dancing in synchronization with him. The two rotated as Koda tried to guide it toward the gate, having to step carefully over the slimy floor. He kept his dance and focus consistent up until the gate, quickly punching the button to seal it in.

"Koda gets 10 points! Next is Jonah and Glee-Scree!"

Glee-Scree appeared as a simple, average-size ball, its smiling mouth trembling. Jonah limped toward the creature weakly. "Excuse me? Are you givin' out the tapioca-"

**_"AAAAAIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEE!"_** The creature's mouth suddenly stretched to a huge, wide size, blasting Jonah with the full force of its scream.

"Eh, what? I didn't catch that, Mister, did you say-"

**_"AAAAAIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEE!"_**

"Ayyyye? Are you saying aye-aye? Are you one of them swashbucklers?"

**_"AAAAAIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEE!"_**

"Oh, is it in there? Okay. Let's-a go." Jonah limped and nudged Glee-Scree forward with light kicks. The beast bellowed at him again, but Jonah continued to be ignorant to his cries. Its smile faltered with each failed scream, until it was panting and frowning in exhaust. It stopped trying to resist as Jonah nudged it into the gate.

"Quite a performance!" Magellan cheered. "Jonah gets 8 points! Rumpel, you're up against Horn Cutter!"

A small, silver crab skittered in, snapping its claws. Rumpel smirked at the little creature, but- "YOW!" it lashed a claw with whipping speed and cut his left ear tip. Rumpel ran from the creature, but it skittered fast and sliced his right ear. It then sliced the curled tip of his left shoe, and seeing his toes, the crab sliced them as well.

"Watch out, Rumpel!" Purple yelled. "Eventually, it'll cut your privates!"

"I'll take mine salty~" Lucky grinned.

"Yeah, well guess what?! You ain't getting THIS foot!" Rumpel about-faced, brought his other leg up, and seemed to rip his foot off while discarding his shoe on the ground. Rumpel threw the foot toward the gate, the Horn Cutter skittering after. Rumpel quickly bounced up and shut the gate, revealing his foot hidden up his pants leg. "Snap that, sucker—OW!" It still managed to slice a toe from behind the bars.

"Rumpel gets 10 points! Purple, your match is Souflee!"

The Souflee was a yellow cake monster with beady black eyes, an open smile, and a cherry on top. "SWEET! I get the lucky one!" Purple cheered, beginning to chase the speedy creature around the ring. Purple cut corners to try and ambush it, spending a long while trying to do so, but he succeeded in grabbing the Souflee. "Got ya! Let's start with the cherry on top~" Purple snatched the cherry and tossed it in his mouth. The Souflee bounced in pain and shook him off, sliding against Purple to ram him against the wall. Purple ended up hacking the cherry out with such force that it flew toward the gate, the Souflee chasing to reclaim it. Seizing the chance, Purple pressed the gate shut.

"Purple gets eight points!"

"I wasn't done eating that cherry!"

"You know that was actually its eye, right?" Rumpel asked.

"Red, you're up last! Your match is Façade!"

The gate didn't open as a face merely traveled along the ground. It slithered over in attempt to make Red fall into its mouth. Red's first idea was to stick his finger in his mouth and vomit, but the face moved away before ingesting the spirit slime. Red made his way to the gate, but Façade refused to come near it. "Wait a minute…" Red just realized something about this creature. "A face without a body… needs a body without a face!" Red opened the gate and ran inside. The audience murmured in curiosity, wondering what he was up to. "There you are! That's right, follow me!"

Red was luring Xanthar out of the gate. Façade perked in shock and fear. Xanthar couldn't sense its movements, so it tracked the quaking of Red's steps. Red ran to Façade and leapt over the fleeing face, and Xanthar ended up feeling it on the ground. Xanthar slammed its head onto the ground and glued Façade onto it. The face seemed to cry for mercy as Xanthar galloped back into the gate.

"Red scores 10 points just in the nick of time!" Magellan cheered. "Here are the current placers: Lucky (20 points), Koda (16), Rumpel (14), Red (11), Purple (10), Jonah (8), and Nefarious (8)."

"Uh-oh. We're one point apart, Purple." Red said.

"Well, we still gotta catch up with these guys. Man, trying to double-reincarnate is gonna be harder than I thought."

"Yeah, and it ain't even gonna work if you could." Koda insisted.

"Hey, let a couple emperors dream, kid!"

"Yeah! And what've you got to reincarnate for, anyway?" Red asked.

"To get away from this dump, dumbasses! I'm sick of hearing shit about Nolan and I'm sick of rotting away in this place! The sooner I reincarnate, the sooner I can forget all about you!"

"But why, Koda?" Rumpel asked cutely. "Aren't we fwiends?"

"Shut your ass, elf."

"Hurry and get your drinks, prisoners!" Magellan clapped. "Because it's time for your swim lesson!"

The contestants were dressed in prison swimsuits as they stood over a wide pool of an eerie, light-green color, the spirits of fish drifting within it. "We will now play Sanzu's Treasures! This 100-foot deep pool is but a glass of water to the endless Sanzu River!" Magellan announced. "We've filtered out most of the souls and dropped treasures into the depths. Each treasure has a price tag on it representing the amount of points it rewards. You will have two minutes to dive in and resurface with whatever treasures you can salvage. As you can see, we've set up baskets with your ugly mugs for you to place the treasures." Said baskets were attached to one of the walls over the pool. "You may already know this, but Sanzu water is as dense as normal water to mortals. Stay under for too long and your conscience will become as milky as the water itself, unable to free yourself from its grasp."

"Oh, it c'n grasp me 'much as it wants, honeybun~" Lucky teased.

"Oh, and just so you know, the pipes in this pool also connect to the prison's toilets~. BEGIN!" (Play "Whale Bay Part 2" from _Rayman 2_!)

The prisoners held their breaths and dove into the ghoulish pool. The ghost fish swam toward the divers and gripped them in their mouths, trying to drag them toward a pipe with a skull sign over it. Red and Purple held hands as they swam, performing a wheelie twirl to shake some fish off. They noticed something glittery down on a platform, so they swam to claim it. It was an office pen, with a price tag of $1. Red took the pen, and they afterwards saw a deep shaft behind the platform. The Irkens swam into the shaft, using their lanky bodies to evade the fans that suddenly sawed out of the sides. They got a stapler that was worth $3, and near the bottom of the shaft were four stacks of fans. In the bottom center of those fans was a $5 paper shredder. Purple carefully sank with his body completely vertical to stay between the spinning blades. He clutched the shredder in his fingers, then Red swam down, grabbed his ankles, and carefully pulled him back up.

The Tallests returned to the surface to catch their breath and submit their findings. "Hey, what gives?!" Red asked. "These aren't treasures, they're cheap junk!"

"Hah, did you think we would throw actual gold or jewels down there?" Magellan scoffed. "If anything, those office supplies are valuable in their own right. So, you'd better get them back for us!"

Lucky appeared to be using his own farts to maneuver under the pool, and the sight of his grinning gold teeth scared the fish away. Lucky swam into a tunnel of Underhands, stretchy, skeletal hands that wished to drag souls further into the depths. …Lucky allowed the hands to touch him, and after a few seconds of doing so, the hands regretted it and decided to rescind. Lucky could swim into the tunnel without trouble and collect a $5 action figure of a Gold Power Ranger. He returned to the surface and tossed the toy in his basket before re-submerging. "Just so you know, it was worth more than $5!" yelled one of the guards.

Koda peeked into a round, fishbowl-like window, where it seemed Voldemort's broken soul was swimming around like a weary old fish. Koda continued and found a wide, but tight passage in which he would have to swim between a floor covered in gunk, as well as pipes squirting that gunk out. …He could already imagine what that filth was, and yet he didn't want to. Regardless, Koda swam carefully, maneuvering around the pipes' holes. He disgustedly pulled two $3 toy cars out of the filth. He saw a $5 racecar sneaker lodged into a pipe and struggled to pull it out. When he finally succeeded, he was repulsed by all the filth that came out.

Nefarious found a garden of clams with crimson needle teeth, no doubt sharp enough to sever the soul of his arms. He was contemplating how to swipe the treasures from their mouths quick enough… until Rumpel Stiltskin swam up sneakily, smiling wryly as he kicked the doctor. Nefarious fell into the clams as they chomped him viciously, screaming as he frantically slammed them against the ground. In the process, their mouths bounced open as the treasures came out, allowing Rumpel to take a $3 snowman bobble, flashlight, and crimson lipstick.

Jonah was trying to take a $5 hourglass from some seaweed, but the weed was neatly tied around the treasure. Koda swam up and interrupted this game of tug-o-war by using a piece of sharp scrap to cut the hourglass free. As a response, the seaweed wrapped itself around Jonah's neck and began to strangle him, while Koda quickly snatched and made off with the hourglass. Koda then swam into a cave that was guarded by a skeletal shark on a chain. A $5 lantern designed like a potion bottle was placed near the chain's base. As Koda contemplated the best strategy, Rumpel was craftily sneaking up behind him. He was about to kick Koda toward the shark's range-

Until Koda grabbed the elf, swam to the ceiling, and used his scrap to pin Rumpel to the ceiling via his arm. The shark was attracted to the "bleeding" elf and swam to gnash its teeth, but Rumpel was just out of range. Regardless, the shark kept trying to bite him, giving Koda enough time to take the lantern and swim away before the beast caught on.

Meanwhile, Red and Purple helped Jonah escape from the Strangle Weed, then offered to let him take a $5 owl statue that was sitting on a pedestal. Jonah accepted and swam to it, but the Tallests snickered, knowing of the trap. …However, Jonah kept a bit of the seaweed and used it to lasso the Tallests. He used them to whack the statue off the pedestal, triggering a giant Stone Eel to chomp them in its mouth (the pedestal was the tongue of the eel). Jonah grabbed the statue and swam up.

Fortunately, the contestants escaped their binds and returned to the surface with injured souls. "Okay, time is up!" Magellan announced. "Let's tally up your score! And no, you won't get to keep any of the items."

With points added to their current totals, the scores were now Koda (37), Lucky (35 points), Rumpel (25), Red (15), Purple (15), Jonah (13), and Nefarious (12). "Hah, in the lead! Suck it, you fairytale wimps!" Koda taunted. (End song.)

"Dead last?! This is unacceptable!" Nefarious shouted. "This is all your fault, you damn elf!"

"Bah! At least I'm still in 3rd place! There's still a chance to win!"

"Off topic," Purple began, "but why were those fish in the Sanzu River to begin with? What did they do in life that was so bad?"

"You'll find that some animals are very vicious at heart." Magellan replied. "But it seems the score is pretty uneven between some of you. Perhaps this next game will give you a chance to even things out."

Magellan led the contestants into a small room with a very long rope, wrapped up like a curled snake and originating from a pitch-black ceiling shaft. The wall had numbers written up it, with 100 near the bottom, going up to 10 near the top. "This game is called 'Courage's Grip.' At the top of this Shaft of Darkness is a weight of incredible mass. It will fall, and your job is to grab the rope and stop its descent. Simple as that." Magellan smiled simply.

"What's the catch?" Koda asked.

"See those numbers on the wall? The catch is that you must stop the object anywhere below those lines. The lower you stop it, the more points you get. Also, the distance and object in question will be changed between turns. And to raise the stakes, if you end up crushed by the object, you will forfeit the games. Are you ready? The lowest score goes first."

Nefarious gulped and stepped up to the rope. He put his hands near the vertical part. "GO!" With that, the rope began unraveling at a quick pace, going up the shaft. Nefarious kept his frightened gaze upward, watching for when the object would show itself. Everyone's hearts were racing with suspense, wondering when it would come. Nefarious glanced down and saw there was only a bit of rope left, and he could feel a presence coming. "AAAH!" A Thwomp appeared, but Nefarious gripped the rope before it touched him.

"50 points!" Magellan confirmed. "Icarus, you're next!"

The elder limped up and weakly readied his hands. The rope seemed much shorter this time. It began to unravel slowly. "HEY, THAT'S NOT FAIR!" Nefarious screamed.

"SILENCE! No disrupting!"

Icarus was set to grab the base of the rope—the rest of it suddenly zipped up the shaft as a giant pan bashed the elder in the head, knocking him out. "Sorry, old timer, you've been disqualified."

"HAH! So much for senior benefits!"

Purple's turn was next, and his rope seemed to be an average length. It unraveled slowly, and already, he could see a giant, creepy, smiling face lowering from the darkness. It resembled the Slowpoke Pokémon. "Heh, this is easy." Purple chuckled. "If it's this slow, I'll grab it right when it's at the—OH GEEZ!" The face suddenly fell faster—but it only fell five inches before resuming slow speed, but Purple had already instinctively grabbed it.

"20 points! Red, you're green!"

"That means I need 20 points." Red said, positioning himself. His rope was made extremely long, wrapping around the whole room. But when the turn began, all of that rope was yanked up the shaft at once, with the single end piece briefly swinging by the Tallest. Red hastily grabbed it just before the gigantic sneaker nearly squished him like a bug.

"40 points! Rumpel, step up! Don't worry, we've prepared a stool to make it fair."

Rumpel had to climb onto a stool to make him level with the previous players. Instead of a rope, Rumpel was given a long string. It began unraveling, so Rumpel kept his eyes up for the falling—"AAAH!" He realized that a three-inch, black ball was about to hit him, so he grabbed the string. "30 points! Now it's Lucky's turn!"

Lucky's rope was barely even raveled: there was only a single layer of a stack. It went up, and a giant nose was about to crush him—but it suddenly bobbed back up, causing the rope to descend as well, and it continued bobbing with no sign of when it was gonna fall. Lucky bent the rope under his pelvis, causing it to scrape against during its bobbing. "And that's why they call me Lucky, baby~"

"Wrap that around your neck while you're at it." Doflamingo Sr. remarked, disgusted by the leprechaun's antics.

When the nose finally fell, Lucky grabbed it at, "80 points! Koda, finish this!"

Unlike the others, Koda's rope extended down a hole in the floor, so he couldn't see the end. It began to zip up at a dramatic pace: it was then they noticed other holes in the floor. A pole-like object began to fall down a hole, then another down another hole, and they were likely tied to the heavy object in question. "Can I have another turn?" Lucky asked.

Koda grit his teeth in anxiety and readied his hands. …A millisecond from when he saw the end zip up, a millisecond from when the giant spider was about to crush him, he grabbed the rope. "70 points! Alright, let's tally up the scores!"

The winners were Lucky (115 points), Koda (107), Nefarious (62), Rumpel (55), Red (55), and Purple (35), while Jonah had been disqualified. "Aw, man." Red moaned. "There's no way we're gonna win now, not even if it's just one of us."

"Alright, prisoners, the games are just about over!" Magellan announced. "Let's proceed to our final game: the Hot-Air Hoedown!"

They were guided to a chamber over a raging pit of fire, with blue balloons made of thick rubber floating near the edge. They were hefty and wide enough to stand on, but not very large. "You must stand on these balloons and shift your weight to move them over the fiery pit. You must knock each other off the balloons. The last man standing will receive 100 points, with nothing for the losers. Mount your balloons and move to separate sides of the pit."

The contestants did so, feeling awkward and unstable on the balloons as they shifted their weight. The six were evenly spaced out. "BEGIN!"

Lucky and Koda braced their selves as the others flew at them. Koda threw punches at the Tallests, who nimbly dodged, and Purple jabbed Koda's eyes as he was pushed off the balloon. However, Koda grabbed the air hole and swung to grab that of Nefarious's balloon. Doing so caused the balloon to sink. "HEY! Get off, you wretched-!" Nefarious sat in order to kick Koda down, but the teen merely grabbed his ankle and yanked the doctor off the balloon in turn. "EEEEEeeehhhh…!" While Nefarious fell into the pit, Koda quickly climbed on the balloon to let it float back up.

Rumpel and Lucky were wrestling each other as their balloons shifted about rampantly. "Look at our two b'oons bumpin' each other~" Lucky teased. "What ya think it feels like? Ol' Lucky thinkin' of swappin' his boons with these b'oons."

"The hell with your boons! I'm getting reincarnated and continuing my legacy! Rumpel's Magical Deals will rise again!"

"Over my burning SOUL!" Suddenly, Purple jumped down and gripped his two-fingered hands over the holes of either balloon, dragging both the Elfin and leprechaun down.

"AAH!" Rumpel climbed down and frantically kicked his fingers. "Whaddyou think you're doing?!"

"Yaw, mah nub is up here!" Lucky was trying to pry off Purple's fingers and bring them up.

"PURPLE!" Red cried. "What are you DOING?!"

"There's no way both of us can win this, Red! You're the one that should be reincarnated! You've always been smarter than me! Reincarnate, and remember _meeeeeee…!"_ His voice echoed down the fiery chasm, vanishing along with Rumpel and Lucky.

_"Yo, I can see y'alls knick-knacks through them paddy-whacks!"_ Lucky remarked as the intense heat caused their clothes to moisten with sweat.

"PURPLLLLLLLE!"

"Aww, do you wanna be with your boyfriend~?" The sound of Koda's taunting voice angered Red, so he turned to the human.

"Purple is my brother, you little snot! And I won't let his sacrifice go to waste! I'll reincarnate and claim revenge on the Kids Next Door!" Red leaned toward Koda and performed break-dance maneuvers, Koda jumping. He kicked at Red, who pounced on the leg and kicked back, Koda stumbling back. He stayed on his balloon as it balanced backward, but Red was pursuing. Koda tossed his metal scrap at Red's balloon and cut another hole, but Red leapt onto Koda before it sank. Crammed on that little space, the two strangled each other, desperate to shove the other off.

"Graaaaah! The one who will get revenge on the KND… IS ME!" With these words to give him power, Koda forcibly rolled them both off the balloon. Koda had grabbed onto Red's still-sinking balloon, while the Tallest fell.

"AAAAAAaaa_aahhhh…"_

"Ha ha ha ha…" Koda quickly climbed on the cut balloon and stood proudly. "I… AM THE CHAMPIOOooo_ooonnn…"_ And he burned into the abyss.

"Heh heh heh…and the winner is Koda, in a blaze of glory." Magellan chuckled.

**Los Angeles; Jackson Household**

Melody Jackson eased her soul with a relaxing bath. With another crisis behind them, she longed for nothing more than to wash her woes away. Once she was cleansed, she stepped out and simply bent the residue off her. She brushed her black hair as she liked it and wrapped it in a ponytail with blue braids resembling phases of the moon. She slipped on her white tank-top and blue sarong with fish designs, observing her newly cleaned self in the mirror. "Melody, Haylee is here!" her mother called from downstairs.

"'kay, thaaaaanks."

Melody proceeded to the door and slipped on her blue and white sandals, the color going perfectly with her outfit. With an air of pride and firmness, the teen marched out of her home as noon began to brighten the sky.

"What's up, Mels!" Haylee Gilligan greeted perkily. The aspiring carpenter was capped with her traditional aviator's hat over her light-brown, ponytailed hair. A dark-brown sash of equipment wrapped around her blue button-up shirt, with a similar belt around her firm khaki pants. Compared to Melody's thin frame, Haylee was sporting a slight hourglass figure, her pants slightly thicker than her hip, on which a leather-gloved hand rested. Melody was nearing 15 years in age while Haylee would soon hit 16. In fact, both girls particularly bonded over the fact that they shared the same birthday, April 12, among other common factors, such as their mixed half-White and half-Black lineage.

Melody sported a light smile. "You're in a pretty good mood."

"I guess so…" Haylee glanced away with half-narrowed eyes. "Sigh, I'm still not really over it, but I wanna get my mind off it."

"The pain doesn't just go away." Melody stepped forward, placing a hand on her shoulder in comfort. "But look on the bright side: now both our dads can be a comedy duo. Spirit World is probably laughing up a storm about now."

"Heh heh! Then I guess I'd better do my part and smile. …So, ya ready to go?"

"No duh~"

With a giggle, the girls began their walk across the neighborhood, Haylee twirling her wrench passively. "But like, do you have to carry that stuff everywhere you go?" Melody asked. "Air yourself out, dress in something cool!"

"Hey, guys like a girl in uniform!" Haylee winked. "But since summer's coming, might as well try out some new swimsuits. Think I've been putting on a bit of weight down here, if you know what I mean."

"I told you those chilidogs would go straight to your thigh."

"And then I'll blow up?"

"Yes~"

The teens shared a laugh over the reference. "I'm still gonna hit the bakery though." Haylee said.

"Fine, but I'm not splitting the bill with you."

"Don't be a cheapskate, Ocean Princess."

"Oh, don't give me that, you can just ask your new boyfriend for cash."

"Hey, Raleigh and I aren't…"

Their conversation carried up the road as a lone bird watched them from a tree. The white-feathered avian emitted a soft blue aura, matching its shimmering eyes.

**Underworld Prison**

The contestants were fished out of the fiery pit, roasted a blackish-brown. Koda Shrieves, fried head to toe, stood before Magellan. "Well, Mr. Shrieves… it seems you are the winner of the Prison Games. Congratulations. You have earned the right to enter the Shrine of Rebirth."

"Fuck yes~" Koda sang in a low, weakened tone. "Later, bitches."

Magellan turned and marched up the corridor. The audience watched as Koda followed in patience and silence. "So long, Koda…" Rumpel waved.

"We'll miss you." Purple said.

"It was fun." Red replied.

"Good-bye, asshole." Nefarious followed.

"SO LOOOONG, BEOTCH!" Revan cheered. "You were NEVER a match for Nolan, NEVER!"

"No one can hear you from here, idiot." Dimentio replied.

"But you can, and that's ALL that matters!"

Magellan inserted a key into a door with an image of a sun shining over a bundled infant. He opened the door and held it for Koda. The teen entered the chamber, and Magellan sealed him inside.

The Shrine of Rebirth possessed a warm, pleasant atmosphere, and was designed like a temple as opposed to the prison's architecture. No doubt this was the most peaceful room in the prison, one that only one soul could enter once a year. There were orange stain glass designs of a tree atop a hill against the sunrise. Koda sat himself down and crossed his charred legs. He closed his eyes in peace, allowing the gentle light of the chamber to take him. A warm sun shone from the ceiling, growing brighter over Koda's calmed mind. His soul began to scatter into particles.

"Hm…" Koda cracked open his eyes and smiled. "I wonder… will I become the KND's enemy again? Or will I 'redeem' myself? Heh…I guess I may never know." The last remnants of his soul disappeared. "Good-bye… Nolan…"

…

The prisoners were returned to their cells, left to lay roasted. Following the games' conclusion, Magellan called Death the Kid on his office phone, recapping the result. _"So, Koda Shrieves will be reborn someday. How fitting… I'll be sure to tell Nolan that. But if I'm being honest, Magellan, you should hold these games more often. Those prisoners seem to get rowdier with each new arrival, and you've been having a lot of trouble keeping them under control."_

"My position is a difficult one, Your Majesty. The Underworld is meant to punish the sinful souls… but the afterlife is meant to give peace to the departed souls, no matter where they stand on the spectrum. If I wanted to, I could be far more strict and merciless, but aside from roasting them in fire, making them step across pines, allowing the monsters to chew them, or forcing them to scrub the toilets with their tongues, I allow them to socialize, watch TV, play these silly games, and let the occasional visitor in to see them. Many of these prisoners don't seek redemption… but all souls deserve some form of happiness. Ugh…in spite of all my toxins, I guess I am soft at heart."

_"I can't really fault you for that. Either way, Nolan will be pleased by the outcome. One last thing… I don't suppose you've seen a surplus of kittens lately?"_

"What do you mean by that?" Magellan asked, unaware of a fluffy, monochrome kitten waddling on a shelf behind him.

_"The Spirit World's been having some weird weather. Don't worry too much on it, but you might want to prepare a few cages."_

**Heaven's Hotel**

Dimentia enjoyed a well-deserved sleep in the hotel after a hard day of maid work. It felt all the more rewarding after having a special guest to cuddle with. But once morning arose, Dimentia donned her uniform and stepped outside. "Oh, hey, Dimentia!" Charlie was there to greet her. "I was just coming to get you! We, uh…seem to have funny weather today." Her bright expression turned into a quizzical one.

"Funny weather?"

"Yeah, uh…I don't suppose this looks familiar to you?" Charlie reached around and pulled out a round, fluffy cat. Its left half was black and right half white, with a ribbon of yellow and purple feathers on its left ear and a matching bow on its tail.

"Pwex!" the kitten squeaked.

"…" Dimentia was equally baffled by the strange, yet familiar creature.

_"MISS WINKIEBOTTOM! What is the meaning of this?!"_ bellowed the familiar voice of Balder.

Charlie and Dimentia hurried outside. …There appeared to be hundreds of the monochrome kittens raining from the sky. Some had feathered pins, others had Plumuxas like herself, some were shiny and sparkly, while others wore varying costumes. "Miss Winkiebottom, what is the meaning of this?!" Balder shouted, being buried under a pile of the floofy animals.

"There ya are, Lass." Fanny Drilovsky said, holding a bundle of them in her arms. "Is there any reason all these blighters look like you? Oh, darn it!" One of the kittens shook free, and the rest followed as Fanny struggled to grab them.

Charlie's partner, Vaggie clipped some fur off one of the kittens, and the fur seemed to disperse into blue mist. "It looks like they're made out of Psychic Chi. Are they Imaginaries?"

"Imaginaries? …Huh…" As Dimentia contemplated this, Plex was about to exit the hotel. Upon spotting the floofy kittens, he blushed and backed up inside.

"Whatever they are, they seem virtually harmless." Charlie said.

"What are you talking about?!" Balder exclaimed, struggling to squirm free. "At this rate, they'll bury the whole Spirit World!"

"Heh heh…I suppose we'd better get a few nets."

"They seem to really adore us as well." Dimentia looked over to her parents, Nosteré and Blumeré, each holding a kitten in their hands while others clawed their pants with their little, soft paws.

"Mama~ Papa~ Mama~" squeaked the kittens.

"They must be mistaking us for their parents." Nosteré replied with a sheepish smile. "I guess they can't tell shape as well as color."

"Well, a little weird weather isn't gonna hurt anyone!" Charlie beamed. "I'm sure we have nothing to worry about!"

…

Arceus rested in his sanctuary with legs folded. He bore little concern for the thousands of fluffy kittens that piled his godly form. They were the size of beetles compared to him, their facial features barely distinguishable, but the monochrome balls of cotton softened his heart nonetheless. _"This is nice… This is rather pleasant…"_

**A field somewhere on Earth**

Sector W7 had come with Sector GT to a wide open space to pass the time with some fun games. "Chimney! Guys! Look what I found!" called the cheery voice of their little friend, Aeincha.

The green-haired Lilliputian seemed to be riding a monochrome kitten, with plenty of space on its back to lie on it like a bed. "Aeincha? Where did you find that?" Apis asked.

"I was out walking and I just found it! Do you think we could keep it? We do need a new cat."

"NO! No one will replace Gonbe!" Chimney argued.

"But Chimney, it's so tiny and fluffy-looking!" Mocha cooed, wanting to pinch the kitten that was tinier than her fingertips. "Aisa, do you have one of your apples? I wanna shrink down and cuddle with it, too!"

"Coming right up, Moch-" Aisa reached into her satchel.

"Hey, Mocha! Take a look what we found!" called the voice of Sind.

The W7 girls turned and- "AAAAAAHH!" screamed at the tremendous creature that seemed to appear out of nowhere.

It was a gigantic version of the cats, perhaps the size of a fortress. The heads of Sector GT peeped out of its fur, but despite being giants, they were as small to the kitten as Aeincha was to her kitten. **"PWEEEEEX!"**

"I didn't think we would find a giant cat out here!" Sind cheered.

"It must've really eaten a lot to get this big." Konbu said, the hefty giant standing slightly taller over the fur.

"Don't even think about doing the same!" Ally stated.

"Hey, guys! I'm lost." moaned Biyo, the shorter giant wandering around the fur. Only the top of his bulbous, tufted head could be seen. "Can we please get out of here?"

"Nature certainly works in mysterious ways." April said, painting a canvas of the giants scaling Cat Mountain.

**Underworld Prison**

Things had returned to relative peace after the games had ended. Dimentio lay reserved in his cell, enjoying the momentary quiet before Revan started shouting again. _Pop!_

"Hm?" Dimentio heard a gentle sound and glanced to the cell window. Something floofy was trying to squeeze itself through the bars. With a pop, it slipped into the cell, and Dimentio could make out its form as a monochrome cat.

The cat bounced onto the prisoner's chest. It waddled around for a bit, the weight of its tiny paws light on his chest. The kitten showed him its tail and gently whacked his nose. "…Aha ha ha. You've gotten into some weird habits… Sister."

"Hey, Dimentio! What's that thing I just saw?" Revan's voice echoed. "Did you get a new cat? Can I have it? I need a new-"

The kitten planted its little paws over Dimentio's ears. "Ah…that's better."

* * *

**Hehe, the Kittentias are something me and Sarstar often do comedic RPs about! They won't be a major thing, but I will chuck little cameos of them into later stories~ X3** **Special thanks to her for helping think of the underwater and hot-air balloon games!**


	24. Girls' Day Out

**I got _Spyro Reignited_ to reignite my _Spyro_ experience. Back when I first played _Spyro_, I was going through a hard time mentally, not to mention the 2nd game wouldn't load a level, so it feels nice to revisit _Spyro_ with a fresh new look. And honestly, I feel like _Spyro_ is one of the weaker 3D platformer titles. It doesn't have the same juice that other platformers do. **

* * *

**_Post-3: Girls' Day Out_**

**Los Angeles Mall**

The social atmosphere of the mall was a welcoming sight to the teenage operatives as they crossed the parking lot. "Ugh, look at that car hogging two spots." Haylee said with disgust. "What a dick."

"Hey, if Stickybeard gets away with what he does, no one has a right to complain." Melody remarked, the duo cutting between the parked cars along the parking lines. "Shit!" she cursed when her sarong got snagged on a license. "Dammit. No one's looking, are they?"

"Don't worry, I don't see anyone." Haylee assured, glancing around as Melody fixed the clothing. The blue-eyed bird had landed on a light pole, overlooking the girls. This seemed like an awkward time to approach them, so it decided to fly ahead.

"Say, did you hear about that Cooking Fest they're gonna hold on Aquaria?" Haylee asked.

"I think, but I'm surprised it wasn't cancelled after what just happened."

"Cooking Fest is way too important to cancel!" the Gilligan argued as they set foot on the mall's porch, walking between a line of stone pegs. "But you know Augustus? He's planning to take part in some kind of universe-wide food hunt and he wants me to join him."

"That sounds fun. Are you gonna take Sheila?" As Melody spoke, the bird went to fly onto a power line connecting to the building.

"Well, I was actually thinking-"

"ZZU-U-U-U-U-U-U-UH!" With a jump of their heart, they whipped up at the power line to see a figure being electrocuted. They fell off upside-down into a patch of bushes, and- "UUH!" crashed on their head, their legs hanging bent from over a bush.

"…" Melody's and Haylee's mouths were half-agape, trying to form a context in their minds. Still, Melody couldn't ignore an injured person, so she decided to cross the grass and approach, her friend accompanying her. "Owww…the other birds landed on it just fine, why did I…" the girl moaned.

"Hey, are you alright?" Melody asked.

The girl pushed herself out of the soil and back upright. She was clothed in a short white top with blue jean shorts that matched the color of her gem-like hair. Her feet were propped up on light-brown heeled shoes, and she had what looked like gold feathers on her hair. She was also about the same height as the operatives. "Telephone wires aren't as comfy as they look. But hi!" She greeted spritely. "I'm Sitasphira! You can call me Sphira!"

"Uh, nice to meet you?" Melody replied, still trying to process this sudden introduction. "Are you hurt anywhere? I'm a waterbender, I can heal you if you want."

"No, don't worry, it goes away pretty quickly!" Sphira replied modestly. "But I appreciate the offer. I actually flew here 'cause I wanted to meet you, Melody!"

"What, are you a fan?" Haylee asked, cracking a humored smile.

"I'm more than just a fan. Don't you guys recognize my hair~?"

Melody glanced upward a bit. "Oh, you're one of those Phoenix guys, aren't you?"

"Yep! But I guess this isn't your first time, is it? Since you already met my brother!"

"Yyyyyeah…" Melody glanced away with melancholic eyes.

"Uhh…" Sphira was confused by her response. Haylee also looked to her friend with a quizzical look. "Oh, and you probably read about our info, right? Plex told me that he gave it to your leader and…"

"Yeah, I skimmed it a bit… Look, I'm sure you're a nice person, but I honestly have no interest in the multiverse whatsoever. It was three years of stress and bullshit that I never want to deal with again. Especially after the sudden and rude arrival of whatever you guys are."

"Oh…" Sphira's beaming expression fell. "But that wasn't our fault, that was the…" She stopped herself, remembering what Dimentia told them. "Actually, that's another reason I'm here. I wanted to apologize for… my brother's bad impression. He's had a complicated childhood, so he isn't the best with people. But all we want is to make friends."

"Don't you have anyone in your own universe to be friends with?"

"Well, we do, but… it's complicated."

"Sigh…well, I accept your apology. Is that all you wanted?"

"Actually, I…I was hoping to hang out with you." Sphira smiled and blushed sheepishly. "Dimentia talks about you guys all the time, and The Chronicler often shares us copies of your adventures. And I just really think you're a cool girl!"

"What about me?" Haylee asked.

"Yeah, you're Haylee, the carpenter, pilot, and… navigator, too, right? I remember reading you were really talented."

"Okay, I dig this girl." Haylee shrugged.

"Hmhm." Melody cracked a smile. "Well… I guess you can hang with us. You want me to wash that dirt off, at least?" She bent some water out of her bottles.

"That would be appreciated…" Sphira blushed once more.

The floor of the mall had triangular, light-brown tiles, along with clusters of four blue tiles, made of a posh, patterned marble. It seemed to consist of three floors, sunlight shining down from the rooftop windows. "So, any particular reason you guys came here?" Sphira asked. "Is this where you buy your equipment?"

"Nah, we just come here to goof off." Melody replied. "Every time we have a crisis, it's nice to come here and see that everything's still normal with the world."

"We've had our share of crises ourselves, so I can feel you there. Speaking of which, thanks for beating The Thirteen! They were making a real mess of our multiverse."

"Yep, they messed up ours quite a good deal, too." Haylee replied. "Our everyday villains mess it up enough already."

"Just be thankful it isn't much worse! Other universes have WAY worse outcomes, like-"

"I'm sure they do, but I don't really wanna compare crises." Melody said. "I just wanna be thankful that they're done with."

"Okay…heh, you wouldn't wanna hear about those, anyway."

The group approached an intersection of the mall, marked by a fountain with a waterfall on the other end. There was an upper floor above the waterfall. "Oh yeah, Haylee, weren't you going to say something?" Melody asked as she flipped a coin into the fountain.

"Huh? Oh, you mean about Augustus and the Cooking Fest?"

"Yeah, I asked if you were gonna take Sheila?"

"Oh yeah. I don't really think I'll take her. It's nice to go for a different change of pace once in a while."

"You getting tired of Sector V?" Melody cocked a brow.

"I mean, not tired per se," Haylee shrugged, "but it wouldn't be the first time I traveled with Augustus. Besides, I feel like he and Sheila would just be clashing the whole time, saying stuff like, 'No I'm the captain!' or whatever, ya know?"

"Are you and Augustus an item?" Sphira asked in a teasing way.

"What, no!" Haylee blushed, earning a chuckle from Melody. "Well… okay, when I was little, I _kinda_ crushed on him. But then he disappeared and the feeling sort of went away. I still like traveling with him though."

"Or is it because you started crushing on this cute prince?" Melody smirked as they walked away from the fountain.

"Ooo, a prince, really?" Sphira perked up.

"I don't like him for being a prince!" yelled a flustered Haylee. "I just think he's pretty smart and cool. Besides, we aren't really dating."

"Is he older than you or younger~?"

"Actually, he's five years younger than Haylee." Melody mentioned. "Like, Haylee's about to turn 16, and he's gonna be 11, was it?"

"Yeah, that is a problem…" Haylee replied awkwardly. "But that's the thing, he just sounds maturer than he actually is!"

"Gilligans do have a habit of dating older women." Melody shrugged. "Unless you're the girl and you date younger men~"

"Well, the point is I don't like him for his money! And honestly, I can't even imagine living in a castle, having servants waiting on me, treating me like a princess… like, look at this." Haylee jogged forward and turned to them, leaning her rear to the side with a hand on her hip. "Does THIS look like royalty to you? This girl who looks like she's covered in sawdust all day?"

"I can always get my cousin Morgantianite to make you something cute!" Sphira said.

"I mean, I don't really wanna look like a princess, I'm just saying I would look super weird as one. Then again, I guess a god from another dimension would at least have a castle, huh?"

"Well, not my own, but Beris does have one, but she mostly stays with us, and my dad used to live outside somewhere for a bit a while back until he moved in permanently with us, so his place is kinda like a summer castle or something now. As for me, I just have my own area at my mom's palace now, I also have this other door connected to the Court of Mind since it's much easier rather than having two rooms in different places."

"I see…" Melody wasn't sure how to respond to such a casual notion of castles. "I get a little tired of my palace sometimes, so I just crash at Eric's palace, or maybe Emily's Death Star."

"Ha ha!" Haylee laughed. "Our treehouses are basically castles, anyway!"

"I always thought your treehouses were cool!" Sphira beamed. "I've seen some of their designs and they look really fun from outside. How do you even design them?"

"We basically harvest seeds from the Treehouse Roots and plant them wherever they work." Haylee replied. "Afterwards, we hollow them out and construct them to our liking. The roots originated from the Firstborn, Celebi, so the trees really hold up. …Unless, y'know, villains."

"I bet the new operatives ask for your help a lot!"

"Yeah, they do." Haylee said modestly. "Of course, some of the locals don't appreciate giant treehouses blocking their sunlight, so lately, we've been cautious on where to put…hm?" She glanced down at the floor near one of the support poles. There was a small, yellow pack, so Haylee curiously went to pick it up. "'Blow-and-Bounce. Blows up like gum, bounces like rubber. Fun for all ages.' Someone must've dropped this."

"Is it a candy?" Melody observed.

"It sure looks like a candy, but I don't think it is. I guess it's supposed to be like Bounce Gum."

"It doesn't really seem safe for small children." Sphira said. "They'll easily think it's candy."

"Yeah… Well, I'm officially hungry." Haylee quickly jumped to the topic. "Let's head up to Hunger Burger."

"You're paying for everything." Melody stated.

"Sheila's a bigger glutton than I am! Heck, you would probably eat more."

The girls rode an escalator up to the second floor and visited the restaurant, set up near the intersection with various round tables set up. "Hmmmm, should I get the Fluffy Cookie…" Haylee thought aloud, noticing a large, fluffy chocolate chip cookie in a display case.

"You're gonna blow up." Melody teased.

"No I won't!"

"Blow up?" Sphira asked. "Why, is it explosive?"

"No, it's just a reference." Haylee laughed. "From _Spongebob_. Hey, speaking of which, wanna guess what me and Melody have in common?"

"You both like Krabby Patties?"

"Well, yeah, but I'm talking about our lineage~"

"Hmm…I think you two are half-Black and half-White…"

"Yeah, but what else?"

"And Melody is part-mermaid… are you also part-mermaid?"

"Bingo!" Both Haylee and Melody sported grins and thumbs up. "My great-great grandma was a Fishwoman! She was a witch named Ursula, and she would marry a human mage called Jafar. That's where my Uncle Facilier got his magic."

"You must be a great swimmer then!"

"Eeeeehhh…" Haylee moaned awkwardly. "Not as well as you'd think. We borrowed more from our dad's side of the family, so our merpeople traits are kinda washed out. …And that right there was a Gilligan pun."

"Hehehe!" Sphira giggled.

"Anyway, I reckon I'll order my usual." Melody said. "Whaddo you want?"

"Oh, I packed a lunch from home." Sphira held up a lunchbox with an image of her smiling face. "Hehe, sometimes I steal from Cules' kitchen. Don't tell her."

"I reckon it's healthier than fast food, anyway."

"It's not that, but I don't really have the right money to afford your food." Sphira blushed. "And even if I could, we don't technically need to eat, so I would just be taking it from someone else."

"Get her the Fudge Pyramid."

"Right on!" Haylee cheered.

The Fudge Pyramid was a small, chocolate cake in a pyramid shape; the top and bottom were chocolate while the middle was vanilla ice cream, with fudge and a cherry at the top. "Well, I can always save Cules' stuff for later!" Sphira said, proceeding to dig her spoon into the pyramid.

Haylee ordered a chili burger while Melody ate some fish sticks with tartar sauce. "Say, since you're going with August, anyway, would gourmets eat this shit?" Melody remarked, spitting bits of sauce out.

"Who knowsh, who caresh~" Haylee replied through chews, chili dripping from her mouth. "I think one of the Gourmet Codes is to never let food go to waste, and to respect all meals, so we're doing the right thing by eating this."

"Just don't get too reliant on fast food!" Sphira said. "It'll really mess up your body."

"At least we get our exercise's worth. Plus, we have Yuzu's food to fall back on, anyway."

"Yuzu should totally compete in that Cooking Fest thing!" Melody expressed.

"She definitely should! …" Haylee looked to her empty plate and messy fingers. "Wellp, time to wash up. You should never put on gloves with messy hands." With that, she proceeded to the bathroom.

Melody bent some water to wash off the residue of fishsticks, then wiped off on the napkin. "Hey, wanna see what I can do?" Sphira asked, waving her hands as clouds seemed to form around them. She shaped them into a whale that flew around the air. It stopped beside Melody and squirted water from its hole.

"Oh, neat! So, you're a cloudbender?"

"Well, technically vaporbender, but cloudbending sounds prettier! But I'm basically a waterbender like you."

"I never really tried cloudbending myself…" As Melody considered this, she bent the whale into a turtle shape… though she couldn't get the shape right, so she tried stretching it like a snake, but still couldn't get the proportions right. "Well, I sure ain't an artist. …But anyway, Sphira, can I ask something?"

"Yeah?"

"How come you guys are hanging around here, anyway? Like, I know we saved the multiverse and all, but I feel like gods should focus on their own worlds or something."

"We just really admire you guys. Our universes don't really have mortal heroes, so we think you're really inspiring."

"You don't have heroes?"

"No one besides us Phoenios. It's just the way our world works…"

"That explains why you think so highly of yourselves."

"No we don't!" Sphira argued. "I know my brother didn't make a good first impression, but we just want to be friends. We never thought we were above you guys or anything like that. The whole reason our leaders first came here was to make friends with the gods and the eventual inhabitants. We never wanted to take anything or cause anyone trouble… I mean, I guess we did end up taking Dimentia, but that was an accident. We really didn't mean to…"

"Okay, I believe you…" Melody sighed, feeling the truth in her words. "I'm sorry I've been so sour. I'll admit I was pretty unsure of you guys, but I guess under that flashy hair of yours, you're people like us. And I'm honored that a group of phoenix gods are looking to us for inspiration…" She made a light smile.

"Heh heh, just don't let it go to your head~" Sphira blushed. "But thanks for letting me hang with you guys. I hope we can do it again sometime, when we're not busy with important things…"

"That would be pretty cool…"

"Hoooo-kay!" Haylee cheered upon her return. "Definitely gotta meet MaKayla later… might need some yoga. So, what'd you guys talk about?"

"Nothing much." Sphira replied. "So, what do you wanna do next?"

"I just thought of something." Melody smiled wryly. "This is your first time here, isn't it? You haven't really seen the Cloud Hearts."

"The Cloud Hearts?"

"You don't know about the Cloud Hearts?!" Haylee exclaimed. "Hah, I guess there's a first time for everyone!"

After paying their bill, the girls headed toward one of the ends of the mall, where a flight of winding stairs led up through the roof. A ray of light shone upon them as they followed it to the outside world.

The stairs led onto a pleasant balcony with patches of flowers, but those weren't the most wondrous sight. There appeared to be small clouds, the size of pillows and the shape of hearts, floating about the air. There were families and couples staring at the clouds, with some kids trying to catch them. "Wow… you don't find this every day at a mall." Sphira said.

"That's kinda why they built here in the first place." Melody replied. "They saw these strange Cloud Hearts floating in the air above this land, so they built this mall and set up this balcony as its main attraction."

"Pretty sights can make a hefty profit." Haylee noted. "On some days, they even go down to the parking lot, usually on cool days."

"Hmhm, I remember the first time I brought Eric here. He was so giddy, trying to catch one to give to me, hehe!" Melody giggled. "Speaking of, is there anyone you got your eye on?"

"Well, not exactly…" Sphira replied. "But this would sure make a good gift for someone. This would be easy to make with cloudbending, but these are natural formations."

"Why don't you keep one as a souvenir?" Haylee asked.

"I-I can? Are we allowed to take them?"

"They're constantly forming, so no one's going to miss one. But you would need a tether or something to keep them down, plus I don't really know how long they last."

"She could probably pull it off with her bending, anyway."

"Oh, she's a bender?"

"Yeah, cloudbending."

"Then… I will!" Sphira jumped up and grabbed a passing Cloud Heart. It felt as soft as a cozy, misty pillow, and it even made her own heart feel soft. "Hee hee…I can't wait to put this in my Cloud Collection."

"Your Cloudlection?" Haylee cocked a brow.

"That one's not even clever!" Melody remarked.

"Big deal! C'mon, let's hit the arcade next!" Haylee raced to the stairs on that note. Melody joined next, and Sphira safely stored the heart away before following them.

* * *

**Sphira is Sarstar's character as well. I wanted to make something of Melody and Haylee hanging out, since they would be great girl friends, and I also thought Melody had to meet with a friendly Phoenios to clear her head a bit. In fact, Sphira is Plex's sister. **


	25. The Microverse

**This story is still a thing? XD**

* * *

**_Post-4: The Microverse_**

**Underworld; Sanzu River**

_Reeeee!_ A fishing line loosed and landed in the River of Souls. It would be one of dozens to sink below the ghastly green surface and into the ghostly depths.

"This reminds me of the good old days when I took my boys fishing." Nigel Uno smiled, seated beside Nolan.

"You don't need to rub it in, dude." Nolan said.

"Relax, Dillon wouldn't have liked fishing, anyway. I tried to take Aurora, but she wasn't into it either. Cheren seemed to really have fun though, heh!"

Numerous KND sectors lined the shore of the Sanzu River, fishing rods in hand. Yusuke, Botan, Jin, and Rinku of Sector YU; Joshua, Beat, Rhyme, Neku, and Shiki of Sector REAP; Maka, Black Star, and Ellen of Sector SCYTHE; Hollow Knight and Ori of Sector SILENT; or Ruby Gloom, Misery, Skull Boy, and Iris of Sector GLOOM.

"Alriiiiight! Time for fishiiiing!" Leic Spirithive hummed to himself as he blissfully skipped along the cold, lifeless ground.

"Don't fall in." Dimentia grabbed his robe before he could walk off the edge.

"Whoops, haha! It's hard to see with my eyes closed in a gleeful manner!"

"Don't fool around, Leic!" Yachiru scolded him. Leic sat beside her and cast his lure into the Sanzu. To their right were Sector GLOOM, and Nolan and Nigel were on their left.

"So, you guys are trying to rescue souls from the river?" Dimentia asked.

"Well, not just any souls." Yachiru answered. "We're looking for the souls of Maria's family."

"Yeah, the little witch from my sector." Nolan told her. "Remember her?"

"A little bit."

"Yeah. They were illegally thrown into the river before receiving a proper judgment."

"But how are you supposed to find them amongst all these souls?"

"Maria gave us special bait!" Leic grinned. "We attached Ushiromiya heirlooms to our hooks. We do things like that in case we need to rescue souls from the Sanzu."

"So, you've done this before?"

"A few times."

"But it isn't that easy." Yachiru mentioned. "The Sanzu River is vast and always flowing. We've been told this is where the souls were originally dropped, but that was at least 30 years ago. We have no idea if we'll be successful."

"There's no way we'll find them." Misery said. She was a banshee girl with big black eyes, purple hair that matched her gown, and lighter-purple skin. A black umbrella with a spider was propped beside her. "We're gonna be here the rest of our afterlives…"

"You know you can leave whenever you want to, right?" Skull Boy asked. "This mission is purely voluntary."

"But we should at least try." Ruby smiled. "Maria's been without her family all this time. She's probably really worried!"

"That's why I can't leave." Misery sighed. "That would make me feel too bad."

"Well, fishing is a good way to take our mind off of things, at least!" Leic beamed.

"Hmm…" Dimentia stared thoughtfully into the ghastly river.

"You aren't seriously thinking of doing that!" Chibi Plex popped up.

"I was barely thinking anything! And what happened to mental privacy?"

"You were thinking of looking for Cereza's mother, weren't you?"

"She was?" Leic asked.

"Oh, I forgot, you can still see me."

"What are you two doing?" Nolan asked.

"Talking to Dimentia's imaginary boyfriend." Leic answered.

"You know I'm not imaginary!"

"Hey, you can fish with me!" The playful angel grabbed Plex and set him on his lap. "Haha! I feel like a big brother teaching my baby bro to fish!"

"For your information, I am very proficient at—whoooaa!" The chibi was suddenly drawn away by a magnetic force, Leic being pulled with as he held onto Plex's arm. "Dimentia, where are you going?" The woman in question was walking away.

"I'm going to visit Balder. Leic, his office is in the First Church, right?"

"Yep! You gonna ask him to fish, too?"

"No, just gonna ask him for bait."

**First Church**

"And why in the world do you need Rosa's possessions?" Balder questioned.

"Because I…I want to try and fish for her soul in the Sanzu River."

"That's completely out of the question!"

"Because it's overstepping my boundaries?"

"No, because it's simply impossible. Rosa has been floating down there for the better part of 400 years. Souls who float down there for too long are bound to lose their sense of identity or self. They become an unrecognizable spirit."

"But it's my fault that she ended up down there. She shouldn't be…"

"Indeed, it is." Balder's scowl slightly narrowed. "But even if Rosa had died on her own terms, her fate as an Umbra Witch was already sealed. Her tainted soul served to nourish the river, as she had vowed. Besides… it isn't as if Cereza would be allowed to meet her."

"But if I could find her… would you let Cereza meet her?"

"Hm…considering the circumstances of her birth, I suppose I could allow it just once… but like I said, it's impossible."

"But I have to try! I've been trying so hard to forget my past, but it keeps coming back. I tried to put Cereza behind me just like everything else… but after she came back, all that guilt came crashing back. I let her vent her rage at me, but I still don't feel satisfied. I want to try and find her mother… to give her one last meeting."

"Come on, Balder!" Leic pled, still lain on his back with his arm holding Plex's. "Let her fish with us!"

"And just what are YOU doing down there?" Balder questioned. "Huff…in any case, I kept only two of Rosa's possessions." He stood from his desk and opened a compartment in the wall. "Oh, how did you get in there?" he asked the Kittentia inside. She pounced out, revealing the pair of butterfly motif glasses and twin guns. "These are her glasses and her Zanpakutō, Unforgiven. Well, I guess that's three possessions. And frankly, I don't feel comfortable about either being sunk in the Sanzu River."

"Don't worry. I promise to keep them safe on me."

"Safe on… What are you insinuating?"

"You're planning to dive in there yourself?!" Plex exclaimed.

"Yes. I'm planning to dive in there myself."

"You're going to what?!" Balder shouted.

"Balder, are you going deaf?" Leic asked.

"If I had all those possessions on me, I would be perfect bait. And besides that… if there was someone or something that souls in the Sanzu greatly despised, could those be used as bait, too?"

Leic quietly began trying to repeat that sentence three times fast, his tongue tied by all the S's. "In theory, it is possible." Balder answered.

"Then… I'm sure Rosa's soul would feel vengeful against me all the same."

"Hmph…alright. If you want to risk your afterlife this way, then so be it."

"Dimentia, even I could barely sense or distinguish anything down there." Plex told her. "That water is so dense that it must hinder sensory abilities. Not that we would be allowed to help, anyway…"

"Then I'll just have to survive by my own will." Dimentia smiled. "And Leic… can I trust you to reel me up?"

"You got it!"

"But first… allow me to point to where you can search." Balder spoke.

**Pools of Confinement**

Balder led them down to an area of the river where rusted chains seemed to line the bottom. Some souls were still chained. "This is where Rosa was contained. Many souls who had signed an oath to the demons were sentenced to be chained here. But over the years, their souls withered to a point where they slipped out of their chains." One of the chained souls in question slipped away. "Afterwards, they're hardly distinguishable with others that had been here for centuries. This is the best I can do to narrow down your search. The rest is up to you, but I expect to have those items back in at least 24 hours." With that, Balder flapped his peacock wings and flew away.

Leic helped to tie his fishing line around Dimentia's hip, Rosa's guns attached to it. She had the glasses fixed to her face. "Whoa!" Dimentia perked as the line glowed brightly. "Glow-in-the-dark fishing rod?"

"It's reacting to your chi. That's how we know we got a bite. When you're ready to come up, just pull it and I'll give you a reel. At the same time, the glow will die out if you're losing energy or faint. I'll pull you up then, too."

"I'm going to come here in person later." Plex said. "Be careful down there, Dimentia."

"I will." She smiled. The Zathurian turned to face the ledge, Leic seating along it with his legs hung over. With a deep breath, Dimentia dove into the Sanzu River. Chibi Plex immediately disappeared.

She felt the weight of the Sanzu quickly close in around her. She heard nothing but the currents in her ears and her specialized senses were all but blinded. She swam bravely, further and deeper into the abyss of souls. The adrift spirits turned to her with mindless stares. The thousands of them were barely distinguishable from each other, and no clear goal lay in sight.

_Will Rosa even recognize her items… Would she recognize me… I could be down here for years and never find her… Oh well… it's the least I can do, after all… I wonder what Nebula is doing now… Hopefully, something more fun…_

**Star Haven**

With the impact of the recent incident slowly easing up, Nebula chose to take a day off for herself. She had purchased a few Comet Flowers to plant in her mom's grave; these flowers would release a streak like a comet once they bloomed. Nebula was told about the incidents on Mira, Mechanos, and Etheria, and while it wasn't official, a part of her felt that her mother was involved somehow. Either way, Nebula knew that some parents would be able to ask her in person now… and to that end, she had another appointment to make, which was why she had some spare Comet Flowers.

Nebula heard a jingling whooshing sound and saw a shooting star soaring her way. The star popped and became Jirachi, but Meloetta appeared with him, both landing on their feet. "Hi, Nebula!"

"Jirachi, Meloetta? What's up?"

"We wanted you to meet a cute new friend of ours!" Meloetta replied. "Jirachi's holding her."

Jirachi opened his cupped, white hands to reveal a small light. Nebula bent down. "It's a… firefly?"

"Her name's Synthia. She's a spirit the size of our cells."

"Really? But she looks so bright."

"We sense Light Chi inside her." Jirachi replied. "For a cellular spirit, it feels really strong."

"We felt like she should make some new friends." Meloetta followed. "So, we wanted to introduce her to some operatives. Jirachi picked you, first."

"Heh heh! Well, hi, Synthia. Where did you come from?"

There was no response for a few seconds. "She says she doesn't really know." Meloetta answered. "One day, she just 'existed.' She says she's kinda shy, but she likes to help people. …Sigh, I'm sorry to say this, but we can't just Skully go free."

"Huh?" Nebula cocked a brow.

"Oh, I'm the only one that can hear her." Meloetta blushed. "You see, the thing is-"

The silence was ruptured when a spiraling green portal burst into being. Death the Kid stepped out of it. "Why did you two bring that thing out here? Don't you know how dangerous it is?"

"Excuse you for barging in!" Nebula shouted.

"Ah, sorry. I didn't realize you were still in your pajamas."

She was wearing a gray top with black shorts. "I mean, I kinda wanted to go chill today, so…"

"Did you sleep in them?"

"…Maybe, but what're you doing here? What's dangerous?"

"That thing Jirachi's holding! It was responsible for the parasite incident."

"It…It was?" Nebula turned toward the little spirit with surprise and confusion.

"It's probably not what we think!" Meloetta reasoned. "She was probably being manipulated."

_"No I wasn't. I knew exactly what Skully was doing and I wanted to help him."_

"Well, that's not helping your case…" the Song Spirit whispered.

"We don't know what kind of spirit it is or what its true allegiance is." Kid stated. "We have to lock it away and examine it."

"First of all, don't call her an 'it'! Spirits and gods are allowed to assign their own genders and Synthia considers herself a girl!"

"But is what you said true?" Nebula asked.

"Yes." Kid answered. "Based on, ahem, an operative's report, this spirit was used by the rogue spirit Skull Face to power his parasites and cause what happened. And given her size, she can't just be allowed to run freely."

"She was misguided!" Meloetta argued. "As long as we be nice to her, she won't hurt anyone."

"Even so, she should at least be kept safely in Castle Hell."

"That's not safe at all!"

"Hold on." Nebula intervened. "If Synthia really is responsible for what happened… then at the very least, she needs to apologize."

"She says, 'To who?'"

"To all the people she's wronged. To the people who died because of what happened, and to their families. I was just about to go meet Arianna and Tronta, so we can bring Synthia, too."

"What good will that do?" Kid asked. "Meloetta's the only one that can hear her, so she could easily lie for her sake."

"I wouldn't lie! I swear! …Oh? You want to talk to them yourself?"

"Talk to us?" Nebula asked.

They watched as Synthia calmly floated up from Jirachi's hands. Kid readied himself in case she would try something, though he couldn't quite sense hostility. The light floated up and landed on his cheek. "—!" Kid flashed and vanished on the spot.

"Kid?!" Nebula gasped. Synthia floated to touch her next. She vanished in the same fashion.

"Nebula!" Jirachi exclaimed. "Where did they go?"

"Wait… I think they're…" Meloetta gazed down at the ground as Synthia lowered to the blue, star-glittered grass.

…

Nebula felt a mixed sensation of being warped, compressed, and watching the universe inflate all at once. With no idea where she was, millions of cells were surrounding her, ranging from blue, white, purple, star-shaped, but otherwise, far too much was happening around Nebula for her to process it all. "Here! I brought the other one!"

"WHOA!" Nebula looked up as a floating, orange blobbish creature whooshed above, carrying a stunned Kid. "Would you warn me before you do that next time?!" the boy shouted.

Synthia placed Kid beside Nebula before floating up again. "Welcome to the Microverse!" the spirit announced cheerily, her single, sun-shaped eye widening with joy. "That's what I call this place!"

"You shrunk us!" Kid yelled.

"Normally, I would be used to it, but this size is a little too intense." Nebula said. "And I'm guessing you're Synthia."

"Yeah! This is the only way I can usually talk with people. It'll only stay in effect for an hour." However, as she floated down, Synthia only appeared infant-sized to them.

"Well, it's nice to meet you eye-to-_eye_, no pun intended." Nebula grinned.

"Well, I don't have an hour to waste, let alone like this." Kid stated. "So, if you don't mind, I'll just…" Kid tried to muster energy in his staff to cast an enlarging spell. "Grrr! Why does the energy feel so heavy?!"

"The Natural Chi of the universe is far denser this way." Synthia wiggled her body in a teasing fashion. "So, it's pretty hard for people to bend elements or use power. But since you're in a hurry, I'll grow you back if you promise to, I dunno, free Skully for me?"

"That's not gonna happen." Kid raised his scythe threateningly. "Skull Face has broken several spiritual laws and is responsible for mortal deaths. And you're the same!"

_"Synthia, I know Skully was your friend, but Kid is right."_ Meloetta's voice echoed. _"Skully hurt and killed thousands of innocent people; and that number may be underestimating it."_

"But Skully just wanted to help the forgotten voices! He was a good man! He shouldn't be punished because of a few accidents!"

"I'm not sure what went on up there," Nebula said, "but a lot of people are upset because of Skully. You both need to accept what you did was wrong, and the least you can do is apologize for his sake."

"You can't make me!" Synthia flew away.

Kid mounted his skateboard and tried to fly, but couldn't get off the ground as his board tripped and he tumbled onto the ground. "Ugh! You had to scare her off, didn't you?"

"Me?! You're the one who raised your scythe all stabby-stabby like!"

_"I can probably restore you guys to normal with some musicbending."_

"That is much welcome!" Kid shouted.

"Hold on!" Nebula refuted. "It'll be harder to reason with Synthia if we're talking to her through Meloetta. She only did this because she wanted to talk with us directly."

"No, she's just pestering me so I'll release Skull Face. And if she can just shrink people like this, that makes her even more dangerous! She could free Skull Face or any prisoner with this power."

"Wait, I can?!" Synthia returned and exclaimed. "Thanks! Bye!" She whooshed off.

"HEY! GET BACK HERE!" Kid shouted.

"She's flying away from the island!" Meloetta exclaimed. "Jirachi, stay and watch this grass blade, I'll catch her!" She flew after the little light.

"Okay, Mela!" Jirachi saluted. "I'll watch it with everything I got!" And so, the Star Spirit got down and squinted his eyes against the grass. "…Uh, it was this one, right? Or, was it this one?"

Alas, with Jirachi unable to see or hear them, Nebula and Kid were virtually alone in the plain of cells. "Weeeell, thanks for making me late, Kid." Nebula huffed in exasperation.

"Excuse me?! You're the one who declined Meloetta's offer to resize us!"

"I wanted to have a fair conversation with Synthia! But because you scared her off, I'm gonna be late for meeting Ari and Tronta."

"Then, as I stated, you should've taken Meloetta's offer. Although perhaps Jirachi can still help us. He should have a LITTLE chi to spare, right?"

"HEY, JIRACHI!" Nebula shouted up. "I WISH TO BE BIG AGAIN!"

…

"Uh…maybe it was this one." Jirachi wondered. "If they're nano size, I wonder if I would have my own gravity field. Are they on my eye right now?!"

"Yep, I guess the stars are pretty far." Nebula shrugged.

"Watch out!" Kid pushed Nebula aside when a giant amoeba tried to eat her. The amoeba did a roundabout to try again, so Kid slashed his blade and severed the beast.

"Aren't amoebas technically mortal? Isn't that breaking the law?"

"They're microorganisms! Even when spirits use Gigai, they won't get in trouble for squashing a few non-sapient ants."

"Is there someone I can ask about that?"

"N-Not at all!" Kid bit his lip. _If Leic hears about this, I'll be stuck in his 'Bugs Are People' lecture for hours._

"You don't sound very—whoa!" Nebula ducked as a long, caterpillar-like creature whooshed over them. "AAAH!" The organism caught her with an antenna. Kid instinctively jumped to grab her ankle, being carried with her as he tried to cut her free with his scythe. Kid succeeded, but Nebula grabbed onto the cell's tail end. "Let's try for a better view up here!" she said as she pulled Kid up.

"A better view for what, more amoebas?! Shouldn't we stay put so Meloetta can find us?"

"She can hear us easy. Might as well check out the Microverse while we're waiting."

"Sheila has rubbed off on you, hasn't she?"

"Well, we're not exactly different!"

The duo situated their selves on the back of the organism, arching up and down as the sights flew by with the speed of a car. Nebula didn't have much to say about the billions of organisms she couldn't name, but it was incredible that all of this was taking place within a very small portion of Star Haven's grass. She couldn't make out any idea of where they actually were.

Nebula heard some grunting behind her and saw Kid trying to muster power in his scythe once more. "Grrrrr!" the Reaper growled. "This is ridiculous! My scythe should still have plenty of power if it was shrunk with me!"

"Element benders and magic users mix their Personal Chi with Nature Chi to use basic attacks. Even my own spacebending doesn't just come from my body. Your scythe may have high Chi Levels, but nature has to do some of the work as well. And different sizes require different efforts, that's the science of superpowers. Come to think of it, the Kateenians have a combat style where they can make their Personal Chi equal to that of 'normal size' people. Heh, maybe we should've took some-"

"I didn't ask for a darn lecture. It doesn't make it any less frustrating."

"Okay, sorry. Honestly, I don't like it any more than you do. My spacebending is already broken, so I feel even more powerless in this state. …But you know, I'm starting to remember something."

"What?"

"In the info we got about the Newborn, one of them was supposed to have size-changing properties. If Synthia was able to shrink us on this big of a scale, what if she's that Newborn?"

"Then that would also explain why it had such an effect on Skull Face's parasites, enabling them to command Babel's voices. As a Newborn, Synthia's power not only entails size-changing, but she can potentially affect things on a molecular scale. But that makes her more dangerous than anticipated!"

"You're not wrong, but we need all the Newborn on our side. That's why we should talk to her."

"Then we'd best hope Meloetta catches her."

"Yeah, there's not much else we can do…"

The duo rode the organism in silence, unable to tell how far they traveled or how much the world around transformed. "…So, how's Mom doing?"

"You know I can't tell you that."

"At least a teeny-tiny hint?"

"Sigh…she's doing very well. And she's proud of you for your victory. She and Marine are really hitting it off, you can probably guess why."

"Aha! If she hadn't sent that weapon, I'm not sure what I would've done."

"Actually, there was another way."

"There was?"

"When Dimentia asked Palkia to lend her some chi for the sword, he and Dialga got into an argument. Dialga stated that Nebula is supposed to borrow the Galaxia Sword from Aurora and challenge Skaios with that. Palkia spoke in your mother's defense that she really wanted to help her daughter. Dialga, realizing that the result would be virtually the same, decided to allow it."

"Oh…well, I'm glad he did. …Thanks for telling me that."

"Perhaps later, you can ask Aurora for the sword. It should give you some manner of strength."

"Well, I feel like Galaxia should belong to her, anyway. But I mean about my mom. Thanks for telling me."

"Yes, well… don't tell anyone else." Kid blushed.

"I'm telling Sheila."

"Ugh, you're annoying."

"Come on, don't tell me you don't think about your dad."

"My father is a part of my being now! I feel like I don't have an ounce of privacy, do you know how that feels?!"

"Ah…yeah, that does sound weird to think about."

"Exactly. And he drops the throne of Demon King on me so suddenly, increasing my responsibilities tenfold. I feel like if I slack off, he'll be right there to scold me. Watching my every performance, thinking my every thought… ugh, why couldn't he have just destroyed himself and reincarnated or something?! At least then it wouldn't feel like I can't have any time to myself!"

"Heh, I think most of us have that problem. Wondering if our dead parents are watching us 24/7, even during our… personal moments…" Nebula shuddered at the thought. "But you know, just because your dad decided to be a 'part of you,' you don't have to be perfect all the time. Just take at least a day off for yourself and relax. If anything, do something crazy just to piss him off."

"You know what… maybe I should…" Kid gazed at his reflection in the scythe. "But not in front of you."

"Come on, we're microscopic, no one else is gonna see!"

"But so long as you're around, I'll endanger my entire reputation."

"Alright, then how about this: right now, both of us are gonna-"

_"Nebula, Kid, we're back! Haha, I hear you kids decided to do some traveling! You're almost at the tip of the grass blade."_

"Oh, it's about time!" Kid shouted. "Did you catch that slippery germ?"

"Hey, don't call me a germ!" Synthia flew up in anger.

"So, she stopped you from reaching Underworld Prison, eh?"

"I wasn't even gonna go, I was just trying to tease you. But you got Meloetta to help and cheated!"

"Synthia, what does Skully mean to you?" Nebula asked. "Why do you like him so much?"

"Well, because… Skully's my friend. When I first flew near him, I felt the goodness in his cells. He felt so sad because he didn't wanna be forgotten. He felt bad for all the people that had been forgotten and he just wanted to help them. I wanted to help him, too. I make friends with lots of cells and microorganisms, you know, but time moves too fast and they all disappear. And I'm so small that big people never think about me again."

"But what if Skully suddenly disappeared? You would feel sad, too, right?"

"I… Of course I would! W-What if… Skully is forgetting me now…"

"My friends lost a lot of loved ones during this crisis. They're feeling sad right now. Do you not care how they feel?"

"I… Well, I don't… know them…"

"If you want us to care about you and Skully, then you should show consideration for our friends. So, if we took you to them, would you apologize?"

"Well… I… Okay…" Synthia bowed her sad, closed pupil.

Nebula shot a look to Kid. …The boy sighed and said, "Then would you please restore us? I won't hurt you or lock you away."

"Okay!" With that, Synthia mustered some light and cast it over them. The universe warped as they were suddenly standing on Star Haven's grass once more, blowing Jirachi backward.

Meloetta let Synthia onto her hand and stood. "Then let's go!"

**Underworld**

"Someone or something souls in Sanzu despise~…" Leic hummed this to himself with an innocent smile, legs swaying above the eerie river.

A tall, broad man in a white uniform and blue gem hair approached him. "Is Dimentia still all right?"

Leic bent his head backward to face him upside-down, his smile compressing. "Hey, you're big now. Yeah, I think she's alright."

"What do you mean you think?"

Leic sat up. "Well, the light from the string was kinda dimming out, but it's still on. Plus, I can feel her still swimming."

Plex merely stared at the rod with suspicion, glowing faintly as the reel unraveled at a moderate pace. "…!" The line suddenly glowed purple. "Whoa! That's a different color!"

"Don't just stand there, reel her in!"

"Okay!" Leic began reeling—"WHOOOAA!" He was nearly yanked off the ledge, having to mount himself on his feet and tug more forcefully. "Yikes! I think I got a big bite!"

"I thought you were fishing for Rosa!"

"Rosa must be pretty big! Wait, it's coming this way! Look at that!"

_"RAAAAAAHH!"_ A gigantic, black, worm-like fish with several layers of buzzsaw teeth and swollen red eyes emerged from the river, the fishing lure going down its throat.

"Leic, get behind me!"

"WHEEEEE!" The worm suddenly slurped the fishing line up and the angel with it. Leic immediately vanished behind the buzzsaw teeth.

"LEIC!"

Plex sprung up ice shards to defend himself when the beast dove at him. It backed away and was about to charge again… when it felt a strange, buttery feeling in its stomach. Its body began to scatter into butterflies, with a flock of them carrying Leic and an unconscious Dimentia back to shore. "Hahahaha! I guess this worm decided to skip the cocoon phase!"

A mound of swallowed souls covered Dimentia's form as she was rested on the ground. Plex hurriedly brushed the souls off her, sensing several gallons of water inside her soaked form. Plex began to push the water out of her. "Kueh, kueh, cough…"

"Leic, let's bring her to the church!"

"Good idea!" He and Plex both lifted Dimentia and flew away.

**Harnita; Marana Graveyard**

Arianna and Tronta stood at their father's grave, accompanied by Celebi. A model rocketship, a bo staff, and some plants were placed around it. The siblings looked to see Nebula, Kid, and the Firstborn arrive. "Hey, Nebs. Did something hold you up?" Tronta asked.

"Jirachi and Meloetta came, too?" Celebi acknowledged.

"I brought Comet Flowers." Nebula presented. "I hope that's not cliché, hehe…"

"It's not at all." Arianna smiled, taking the flowers. "He loved exploring space, after all, hmhm! Unless you mean that you get these for everyone's grave."

"Eh heh heh…" Nebula grinned awkwardly. "Ahem, actually, we brought another guest with us. …I'd like you to meet Synthia."

The Dunfrees cocked a brow as Meloetta approached. "Would you put your hands over this light? You too, Celebi."

Though Tronta couldn't see it, he assumed he had to put his hand over Meloetta's. He did so, and Arianna and Celebi followed. The three disappeared in a flash.

They wound up confused and disoriented amidst the canyons of Meloetta's palm. With billions of cells at every corner, only one of them caught their attention: a smaller, orange one with a sunny eye. "Hey… I'm sorry for your dad."

"Oh, my." Arianna said. "Are you some kind of sentient cell?"

"Hey, everything sounds weird!" Tronta yelled. "Where are we?!"

"Tronta, we've been shrunk!" Celebi answered.

"Then, all these things are cells?! How small did we get?!"

"Calm down, Tron! Hm hm hm!" Arianna giggled. "Then you must be Synthia. Did you shrink us just to tell us that? How kind of you."

"It's not that… I was the one who… helped make the parasites."

"The… parasites?"

"Yeah… the ones who…that killed your dad. It's my fault. I'm sorry."

"… …" The three were unsure what to say. They hadn't expected this type of revelation so suddenly. "But, if that's true… then why?" Tronta wondered. "And… what even are you?"

"I just…I wanted to help Skully. I didn't think about… the people that I would hurt, or…"

As strange as this creature was, they could almost feel some form of guilt in her voice. "Well… thank you." Arianna said. "I'm not really sure how to feel…"

"Me either… this is so weird…" Tronta replied.

"Well, now that I said that, I guess I'll change you guys back now… if you want."

"Wait!" Celebi spoke. "Can I stay small for a little while? Your chi feels strong for an ordinary cell…"

_"We can probably tell you why. But if you say so, Celebi!"_ Meloetta responded.

Synthia mustered her light to return Tronta and Arianna to normal. "I was not expecting that to happen today…" Tronta rubbed his head in dizziness.

Nebula giggled. "Synthia is a little misguided. She might have helped do something terrible, but I don't think she's a terrible spirit. You don't have to forgive her, but I thought you should know…"

"Well, I've never had an amoeba apologize to me for anything." Tronta said. "I'm just confused…"

"Heheh. Are you guys still fit to hang out?"

"Of course." Ari smiled. "Will 'Synthia' be joining us?"

"I think we'll take her back to Spirit World for now." Kid replied. "But we'll take a more peaceable approach. …Also, what were you going to say, Nebula? Before we were restored?"

"Well, I can't tell you now! …There are people!"

"Yes, well, the feeling's mutual. …But are there any more free days in your future, by chance?"

"Prob'ly next week, I dunno."

"I'll need a more specific answer."

"Aww, you wanna take off that day, too?"

"That's confidential!"

"Ahaha! Alright, I'll let you know later then."

"Hm…" Kid cracked a smile. With that, he cut open a portal with his scythe as he and the Firstborn stepped in.

"Soooo, what the heck happened?" Tronta asked.

"I'll tell you guys later." Nebula replied. "So, I heard Vinyl City's hosting a concert. Wanna drop in?"

"You mean the raddest rock band on Coruscant, Bunk Bed Junction?!" Tronta fist-pumped.

"Starring West Pumparian drummer, Zuke, and Korbinite rockstar, Mayday?" Arianna followed, giggling at Tron's enthusiasm.

"The very same!" Nebula cheered.

"Then let's hit the stardust!"

"We'll see you later, Dad!" Arianna waved. "Enjoy the comets!" With that, the siblings joined Nebula to her Shooting Star to make the flight to Coruscant.

**First Church**

Dimentia was fully awake by the time they arrived, rested in a bed as her energy recovered. Even as the weight of the Sanzu River cleared her body… the weight on her heart hadn't disappeared. "You're a little under the weather." Plex said, leaning along the wall. Leic was lain along the side of the bed. "Is Sanzu water really that sickening?"

"More than Dream Water. But it's not that. Sigh…I couldn't find Rosa after all. I guess it really was pointless…"

"Dimentia, it wasn't pointless. You-"

"Of course it was pointless!" The door was suddenly kicked open by Bayonetta, startling Plex.

"WAH! She's here!" Leic panicked.

"Cereza? Why are you here?"

"Balder called me. Honestly, I didn't think you would be desperate enough to try and make up with me, let alone try to find my mother's soul."

"I wasn't trying to 'make up' with you. I just thought it was something you deserved…"

"She just wants to be friends again, Bayo!" Leic insisted. "Isn't it the thought that-"

"Shut it, brat! You're acting as if she only broke my glasses! Sigh…Dimentia, you're right to think that I'll never forgive you. Even if by some miracle you could find my mother, I still wouldn't. Even so, I don't want you to spend the rest of your existence suffering, let alone to some hopeless task. Understand?"

"But I…I just can't get over it. What I did to you…"

"And I can't get over it, too. But you're already dead, twice, so I don't care to yell at a corpse. Good-bye." Bayonetta brushed the air and walked away.

Dimentia sighed. "Nothing was resolved after all."

"Perhaps that is your curse." Balder said, entering the room. "But more importantly, why weren't Rosa's glasses on your person?! Don't tell me you lost them!"

"Huh?! Oh…uh-oh."

"I guess they're down floating in the Sanzu now." Leic figured.

"You'd better be willing to compensate me, Miss Winkiebottom!"

"Sigh, can I do it later? I'm beat for today." Dimentia pushed herself off the bed and lazily exited the room.

"Where are you going?" Plex asked.

"Fishing with friends."

"You're going in again?!" Leic exclaimed.

"No, silly. The old-fashioned way…"

**Sanzu River**

Dimentia fetched herself a fishing pole and cast her lure into the river, taking her place on the left of Nigel and Nolan. "So, I guess it didn't go well?" Nigel asked.

"Not really. Just got an earful of ghost fish." Dimentia released a somber sigh. "Honestly… I don't know what I was thinking. I'm already dead, so it's too late to make up for most of the things I did. I guess it's because Cereza showed up again out of nowhere that I had to try…"

"Well, no one blames you for that." Nolan said. "But honestly, even if you did find her mom, it's not like she would-"

"Don't remind me."

"I know this might sound weird, but don't stress over it too much." Nigel said. "Between us and the others, we were all your friends and we know you've changed. You don't have to prove yourself to everyone."

"But even when we were still alive, I felt so weird hanging out with you. I felt like I didn't belong, and I didn't deserve-"

"'EY, mates! Sorry Oi'm late!" The unmistakable shrill sound of Marine's voice ripped the stiff Underworld air. The sloppily-dressed raccoon Mobian pranced up to the ledge and jumped into a sit beside Dimentia. "Hey, Dimentia! Didn't think you were into fishin'."

"I've suddenly developed a kinship for it." Dimentia smiled awkwardly.

"Strewth! I can't wait to see what beauties we nick from this river." Marine cast her lure into the river. "I hope they're good eating!"

"Marine, you know we're fishing for Ushiromiyas, right?" Nigel asked.

"Eh? I never heard of that kind of fish, but it sounds yummy. By the way, I brought extra sodas, any of you want a swig?"

"Nah, I have some milk." Nolan replied.

"I have cherry soda!" Nigel raised his bottle.

"I could use a drink." Dimentia figured.

"Haha, I knew you would!" Marine passed a bottle to her.

"Eheh, you knew I would?"

"Our little sheilas are soda-drinking pirate mates. I'll bet Nebula didn't get her sugar-levels from her dad!" Marine cracked open her bottle and took a drink.

"So, just because Nebula and Sheila shared a soda?"

"Yeh! They're brethren now, so we're brethren!"

"If you say so!" Dimentia chuckled, drinking from her bottle.

"So, what were you going to say, Dimentia?" Nigel asked.

"Huh? Oh, uh…" Dimentia had been so caught off-guard by Marine's jovial arrival that she felt bad about douring the mood. "Ah, forget it."

"Come on, mate, tell us what's got you!" Marine encouraged.

"Eh, I was just complaining about the past, and… there's this girl I did something bad to, and like, I tried to do something to make up, but it didn't work, and…"

"Ah, friendship's a pain in the knockers, isn't it? Oi, I couldn't tell ya how many blokes got tired of me."

"I'm sure you didn't do anything remotely horrible."

"Yeh, but when we got this many mates, who needs more, eh?" Marine grinned and took another drink.

"Heheh…" Her cluelessness was pretty remarkable at times. Dimentia couldn't imagine she would be as chipper if she stole Marine away from her family and home. Though, technically, she wanted to explore the universe, anyway. In fact, did Marine have any parents? Either way, the only reason Marine was being so friendly now was because their daughters were friends. Otherwise, Marine may not really care for her at all. Not that Dimentia ever really approached her either on casual terms. Marine was never an official operative, so-

"Oi, what's bummin' you now? If you ain't gonna talk, then drink."

"Haha, I'm just thinking!" Dimentia said with a light start. "Um…hey, Marine, one of my friends from the Phoenios is coming to visit. We were gonna hang out, but do you wanna join us?"

"Ooo, are we exploring the multiverse?"

"Still can't do that!"

"Whatevuh~ Sure I'll tag along! It's gonna be ripper!"

"It's a date then!" The weight of the previous interaction slowly lifted off Dimentia's heart. She would have liked to find Rosa or to make up with Cereza, but after already doing what she could, perhaps she should accept what's in front of her. Not only did she have the Phoenios to make new friends, but she still had friends in this world, Marine included. Even in the dark Underworld, they made her heart sunny.

…

The mound of souls that had been pulled up with Dimentia lay haplessly along the Sanzu's shore. …One of the souls lazily floated off the ground, the butterfly glasses over its dead eyes. It looked about brainlessly, failing to get a scope of things through the unique lenses. The spirit released a hiss through its hanging jaw before floating away with no real goal in mind.

* * *

**There's a reference to _GALACSIA_'s main theme song, can you find it? ;3**


End file.
